Nothing After All
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts. KaiHilaryTyson, BrooklynMatildaMariam, MystelMariahReiSalima.
1. Hot, Sexy, Cute or Handsome?

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

Lyrics belong to 'Let Me Go' by 3 Doors Down.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

.

**Chapter One: Hot, Sexy, Cute or Handsome?**

"_One more kiss could be the best thing,  
But one more lie could be the worst  
And all these thoughts are never resting,  
And you're not something I deserve"_

_First day of year twelve_

She bobbed her head to the beat of the music and drummed her fingers on her knees, enjoying the lyrics of the soothing melody. She couldn't connect on a personal level with the lyrics, but she could emphasize with people in such situations. Fortunately, she was one of the lucky ones not in a fake relationship; she was with someone who loved her. For three years she had been in a tight relationship with Rei, the current captain of the beyblading team, the White Tigers.

Beyblading was just a mere hobby now, but the bladers never turned down an opportunity to battle it out in the dish. Instead, they focused their skills in strengthening other areas academically, culturally and physically. Some even chose to walk down the spiritual path and search for enlightenment hoping they could somehow they could cleanse themselves of past sins. Whatever path a blader chose everyone seemed to respect each other well enough.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

Team Psykick.

For some reason, this group of ex-bladers thought they owned the school. Patrolling school halls during recess breaks and calling on students for breathing too loud, they were not liked for their personalities. However, students didn't dare debating with them; Team Psykick was well liked by the school board. Stanley Dickinson himself sponsored them to study at his prestigious school.

Each ex-blader specialized in a certain field and topped the state. Kane and Salima were on athletic scholarships; Kane was the state soccer captain and Salima was state netball captain. The other two members, Goki and Jim talents rested in the academic field. Jim had been called the new generation Einstein and Goki excelled in painting and drawing.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder. She broke out of her thoughts. "So, what do you think Mariah?"

Mariah blinked. "Um, what?" she asked, removing the earphones out of her ears. "Sorry Julia, I didn't see you there," she replied. It wasn't the first time music distracted her from her surroundings.

Julia rolled her jade coloured orbs, but gave Mariah a warm smile. "I've got some great ideas for the fashion show!" Julia said, her green eyes shining. Mariah gave Julia a wry smile. She knew Julia aspired to be a great fashion designer. Fashion was her greatest passion and any chance to promote her work pleased her. "Okay so listen here. I'm thinking we could have a catwalk and the girls, and even some guys can wear the outfits I designed for them," Julia started.

Mariah nodded. "What's the reasoning behind the fashion show?"

Julia flicked a strand of stray brown hair over her shoulder and continued speaking. "Well, a team of professional designers are coming in two weeks before our formal, so I thought it would be a great chance to showcase what formal designs I have." Mariah raised an eyebrow and waited for Julia to continue. Julia sighed. "Trust me; it'll work out, besides Robert is lending me a hand."

"Robert? As in Robert Jurgen, the resident millionaire?"

Julia nodded. "I know, exciting right? I can't believe he agreed to assist. He's paying for catering and everything."

"You asked him?"

She shrugged, brushing a band of hair away from her eyes. "Of course I did. I asked him during modern history a week ago and he said sure."

Something told Mariah there was more to it than that, but she didn't press for details. "Wow."

Julia waved a hand around in the air as she spoke. "Anyway... if these designers like my work they'll accept me to work with them. Basically, I'll get to design dresses for the girls and glam them up and make money out of it. Good, right?"

"They should've have let you design the school uniforms," Mariah joked, looking down at her uniform. The girl's uniform consisted of a simple white three quarter sleeved white blouse, a navy sleeveless V-neck sweater, and a knee length navy blue skirt. The uniforms the guys wore consisted of a white polo shirt, a pair of navy blue dress pants, and a blue sleeveless sweater worn over the polo. "It's a good idea."

Julia flashed Mariah a grin. "I just hope it turns out alright."

Mariah remained silent letting Julia's ideas sink in. Julia had heart, but she obviously hadn't given the idea much thought. Even with Robert's assistance, organizing a fashion show for professional fashion designers wasn't going to be that easy. Before Julia could further explain, Mariah decided to change the topic. "It's our anniversary next week," Mariah said.

Julia's mouth dropped open in shock. The corners curved upwards into a grin. "Oh my god, that's so adorable! How long have you guys been together? Two years? Three? Or was it four?" A thoughtful expression took hold of her face. She glanced down at her fingers trying to recall the number of years Rei and Mariah had been dating.

Shaking her head at Julia's poor memory, Mariah offered an answer. "It'll be three official years next week," she replied proudly, a small tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. "Rei told me Wednesday will be one of the best days of the year," she added, blushing.

"You're lucky to have such a great boyfriend," Julia replied. "He's kind, gentle and understanding." She gave Mariah a sideways look. "And don't hurt me for this, but he's also handsome. Not sexy, not hot, not cute, just handsome."

Mariah frowned. "Are you calling my boyfriend ugly?"

Julia sighed. "No silly, handsome just means he's sophisticated."

Mariah grinned. "What's the difference between sexy, handsome, cute and hot anyway?"

"I'm going to use four guys to explain each concept; Max is cute, Kai is hot, Rei is handsome and Bryan is sexy. What do these terms mean? When a girl says a guy is 'cute' then he's probably either young or he has features that in some way remind her of a younger person. Also, the persons' personality might be innocent and naive," she explained. "When a girl says a guy is hot that means he's sexually attractive, but the girl will probably not act on the impulse and actually pursue a sexual relationship with him unless she's a whore," she added, frowning.

"What about handsome and sexy?" Mariah asked.

"When a girl says a guy is 'handsome' then that means he's attractive in a more sophisticated way and is probably older-looking or unconventional looking. The girl probably would want to pursue a serious relationship with a 'handsome' guy, as opposed to just a short-term thing. Finally if a girl says a guy is 'sexy' then that means he's sexually attractive and the girl does intend to pursue a sexual relationship with him most likely," Julia explained, leaving Mariah speechless. Julia noticed Mariah's confusion. "Are you still confused?"

Mariah shrugged. "I just find the labeling kinda stupid, you know? I mean everyone has a different view on what's hot, cute, sexy or handsome, right?" Julia considered Mariah's question and shrugged. Mariah took her lack of verbal response as an indication she agreed. "But I guess Rei is handsome."

Mariah and Julia had been talking for quite a period of time both girls didn't realize the bus had stopped outside their school. The bus driver walked to the back of the bus and looked at the two girls, waiting for them to respond. "Girls we've arrived," he said.

Julia gasped and glanced out the window. The bus driver was correct. Julia grabbed her bag, placed it on her left shoulder and walked out the bus, followed closely by Mariah. The bus driver returned to his seat started the bus and drove off leaving both girls feeling embarrassed. "I can't believe we didn't even realize we were at school," Mariah muttered. "Remind me to not bring up guys with you on the bus," she added lightly.

Julia opened her mouth to reply, but decided not to. Instead, she jerked her head in the direction of a large crowd gathering in front of the school gates. She grabbed Mariah's arm and jogged over to the crowd. "Out of the way everyone, your lead fashion designer is coming through!" Julia stated, pushing her way through the crowd. Several students shouted at Julia, others quickly moved out of the way.

Up ahead, Julia saw Rei flanked by his close friend Lee. Kane, Jim and Goki stood across from them. Julia could tell the boys weren't exactly happy to see each other. "What is going on here?" Julia demanded hands placed on her hips.

"Rei?" Mariah exclaimed, rushing up to stand beside Julia. "What is going on here?" she asked, repeating Julia's question. She looked from Rei to Kane, then back to Rei again.

Rei heard Mariah's voice and walked over to Mariah, a grim smile on his face. He welcomed Mariah with a light peck on the cheek, before glancing over his shoulder shooting Kane an angry glare. "Are you that scared Rei you need the help of your girlfriend for help?" Kane mocked a triumphant sneer on his features. With flawless pale white skin, deep blue eyes and strong bones, it was easy to see why the female population worshipped the ground he walked on. The same couldn't be said for his personality. If personality had looks he'd be ugly. Jim and Goki laughed.

"Shut your mouth Yamashita if you know what's good for you," Lee threatened, his fists curled into balls. "Rei doesn't need extra help taking down the likes of you," he added.

Mariah buried her face in her hands. Couldn't the boys just learn to live with each other? Everyone else managed to treat each other with respect, why couldn't they do the same? "Lee... let it go..." Mariah hissed, trying to get her brother's attention. Lee ignored her.

Cold, piercing blue eyes locked on Lee. "Are you game enough to fight with us in the school grounds?" Jim asked his left eyebrow arched. "Not a smart idea... but then again, you never come up with smart ideas," he said, with a careless shrug of his shoulders.

Jim's remark angered Lee. Lee charged and threw himself at Jim knocking him to the ground. Mariah covered her face again. The fight could have been resolved with simple words. The crowd of students started cheering, urging the boys to continue fighting. "STOP! STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Mariah heard Julia cry over the chanting.

Mariah turned her back on the fight and walked out of the crowd followed by Rei. Once they were out of range of the fight, Mariah let the restrained tears fall. "He never listens does he?" Mariah sobbed. "He always gets himself involved in fights I'm worried he'll get suspended...or worse, expelled." She sobbed harder, burying her face into Rei's strong chest. "My parents will disown him."

Rei wrapped his arms around Mariah and tried to comfort her. "Lee won't get suspended, not if we can defend him," he said in a soothing tone. "Kane and his friends might be held in high regard, but so are we." Being captain of the unbeatable basketball team had its benefits. "And you are the head of the newspaper report team," Rei added, cupping her chin.

She might be head reporter, but that wouldn't defend Lee. "I don't know Rei..."

"Everything is going to be alright, okay Mariah?"

Mariah fought back down more sobs and tried to calm herself down. Of course everything would be alright, Rei was at her side.

.

Some of you may remember this story as 'Let Me Go'. I'm glad to announce the story has undergone a major revamp – roles, pairings and the plot itself have changed. Who will end up with who? What drama will ensue? Keep on reading to find out! As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	2. The Joys of Shakespeare

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Kaihil lover, cOOLzanimeaDDict, kuzon98, guest, Omegaxis1, IviWay and LouisReynolds for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Two: The Joys of Shakespeare**

_Monday_

Mariah and Rei walked back to the fighting ground only to find the fighting had now ceased. The crowd had dispersed leaving only Lee, Gary, Kevin and Julia. Julia ran over to her friend and gave her a comforting hug. "Are you alright? You disappeared and I didn't know what to do," she said, looking relieved now that Mariah had returned. "Lee managed to give Jim a black eye, and Kane ordered his friends to retreat," she added.

Mariah glanced down at brother. "Lee, you need to learn to control your temper. It's going to get you into serious trouble and Kane knows that," she warned.

Lee spat at the ground. "Kane deserves whatever is coming to him," he muttered. "He thinks he can do whatever he likes because he's special."

"Let's move on from Kai and talk about something far more interesting," Julia started. All the talk of Kane brought back sour memories for Julia. For a short time, Julia had fallen for Kane's good looks and fake charisma. The relationship ended in heartbreak for Julia. Kane had found the whole ordeal amusing, while Julia was brought down to tears every time Kane was mentioned not to mention humiliated. Although the sour relationship didn't change her opinion on Kane's looks; she still considered him one of the most attractive guys she had ever met.

Mariah nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

Julia reached down into her bag and pulled out her timetable. "What lesson do you have first? I've got drama."

"English," Mariah replied. She turned to Rei. "What about you?

"Health and physical education," he replied. "Then I've got basketball practice with the boys," he added referring to his team which included Kane.

"Make sure you yell at him," Lee muttered. "Kane can't argue with you as you're captain," he added. "As for lessons, I've got maths first." He sighed. Maths was an awful subject and incredibly difficult to stay awake for. He wasn't sure how guys like Kenny could sit through a maths class and actually _enjoy_the subject.

"Gary and I both have chemistry," Kevin said, speaking up. Most falsely assumed Kevin and Gary were far too stupid to participate in such a subject, but both boys proved everyone wrong by getting some of the highest grades in the class. They were only beaten by Emily, Jim, Kenny and Robert.

Julia flashed her friends a smile. "Well, I guess I'll see you all at recess. I've gotta go, bye!" she said, stashing her timetable back into her bag. The four watched Julia run towards to the main school building, before slowly walking to their designated school rooms. Mariah parted ways with the rest of her group and made her way to her english room. Luckily the door was open which meant she wasn't late for class.

She entered the room and scanned the people looking for her friends. She found them sitting in the back corner, all eyeing a guy with blonde hair with small smiles on their faces. Mariah sat herself down in between another pink haired girl and a girl with short brown hair. "Matilda? Hilary?" Mariah asked, but the two ignored her. She turned her eyes on the person of interest. "Miguel? Seriously?" she said, shaking her head.

Hilary gave Mariah a look that said, 'come-on-you-know-he's-quite-the-looker-to' look. "Miguel has a nice face alright?" Hilary whispered. She had been crushing on Kai for years now, but the poor guy didn't even know who she was. She was at a lost. How was she meant to be with Kai if she wasn't known to him? With deep, crimson eyes and flawless pristine skin, Kai was hard to ignore. However, his personality did not match his looks. It was said standing next to Kai made one feel cold inside. She wondered what thoughts were kept inside his mysterious mind.

Mariah raised both eyebrows. "I thought you liked Kai?"

Hilary's cheeks turned red. She didn't like it when her friends brought up her crush on Kai. "Miguel's just got an attractive face alright?" Hilary added in her defence, although she couldn't stop a smile crossing her face. "Kai is still better looking though he's just got this charm about him."

"Better stop fantasizing Hilary, Kai's just walked in through the door with Tyson," Mariah said, nudging Hilary in the ribs. Hilary shot her friend a glare then checked her hair, ensuring it wasn't messy. "Girl, you have got it bad," Mariah added, grinning. Hilary's jittery state reminded her of the feelings she experienced when she came to the realization she was in love with Rei. At one stage she was afraid to be in the same room as him.

As soon as Tyson and Kai sat down at the opposite of the room, Miss Kincaid entered holding a large white plastic container of books. Tyson looked at the container and groaned loudly, slumping in his chair. "Not books!" he exclaimed. He picked his pencil and stabbed the desk with it, successfully breaking the tip. "Always reading!" he grumbled, throwing the pencil onto floor. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the books.

Mariah gave Hilary a sideways glance and sighed. "I can't believe you're crushing on a guy who is friends with someone like that."

Hilary frowned. "He's a nice guy alright? Sure he might be a little... daft, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person," she said, defending her crush's close friend. If she wanted to be with Kai, she needed to be nice to his friends. Getting to know them would be a good start.

Mariah was about to reply when Miss Kincaid opened the container and pulled out a handful of novels. "This term you will be focusing on the play, _Macbeth_by William Shakespeare_._Throughout the semester you will be required to complete three pieces of assessment: a dramatic oral presentation, a feature article and finally, an end of termexam relating to the book. The three assessments will test your understanding of the selected play and will require you to analyse the novel in great detail. You will also be required to undertake further research," Miss Kincaid explained. A majority of the class groaned. It was going to be a painful term.

"Oh I love Shakespeare!" Matilda said. The rest of the students gave her weird looks. Matilda refrained from speaking further and decided she'd stare at the books.

Miss Kincaid walked around the room and handed the students a copy of the play each. "You will be required to read two scenes every week. Every second fortnight during our double lesson, I will test you on your understanding." Miss Kincaid looked directly at Tyson. "Yes Tyson, you have to read."

Tyson groaned again and opened the first page. His eyes scanned the words and after several short seconds, he closed the book. "How am I supposed to read it, if I can't understand it?" Tyson asked thinking he had raised a good point. "The words do not make sense! What is this supposed to mean, 'What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won'," Tyson read aloud. "Can't they speak English?"

Matilda frowned. "It is English Tyson, it's called Old English." Tyson looked at Matilda, a stunned look on his face. _Who is that silly nerd_? He thought. Kai leaned close to Tyson and whispered in his ear. It must have been amusing because the two boys snickered. Had Kai told a joke to Tyson? Hilary never knew the guy was even capable of smiling, let alone telling jokes.

Miss Kincaid tried to get the attention of the students, but failed miserably. Sometimes she was just too soft with students they failed to realize she was even there. She thought about grabbing the large whiteboard ruler and slamming it against a table when Stanley Dickenson entered the room. "Oh hello Mr. Dickenson," Miss Kincaid said greeting the principal formally. The class quietened down.

Stanley walked to the front of the class followed by one student. "I have a new student joining your class Miss Kincaid. Her name is Ming Ming," he said. "She's enrolled with four other students," he added. "I best be leaving you now have many events to plan," he said, exiting the room.

The students all looked at Ming Ming examining her. The girl was short, tanned and very feminine looking. She didn't look the least bit nervous either; in fact Mariah could feel the confidence vibes radiating from her. "She looks like a whore," Hilary muttered under her breath.

"You're rather quick to judge," Mariah replied, although she too thought Ming Ming resembled a whore.

"Ming Ming, please sit next to Mariah," Miss Kincaid said, pointing to the spare table next to Mariah's right. Mariah heard Hilary mumble 'whore' under her breath as Ming Ming sat down next to Mariah. Mariah's nose twitched; the strong aroma of the Britney Spears endorsed perfume, 'Curious' reached her nostrils.

Hilary couldn't suppress herself. She leaned back in her chair and spoke Ming Ming's name out. "Britney Spears? Ew," she said, sneering. This girl was going to regret wearing celebrity endorsed perfumes by the end of class.

Ming Ming raised an eyebrow. "Its perfume for aspiring performers," she replied curtly, examining her nails. She glanced up and eyed Hilary warily and frowned. "Not that _you_would understand." She turned away from Hilary and pulled out a tiny hand mirror from her pocket.

Hilary's blood was beginning to boil. Just who did this girl think she was? "Who do you think you are? A celebrity?" she demanded.

Ming Ming sighed and turned back to face Hilary. "As a matter of fact, I am. I'm the lead singer of a band and we tour around the city performing in gigs and local events," she said, with a strong sense of superiority in her tone. "Oh by the way, you might consider brushing your hair," Ming Ming replied, tapping at her own neat hair.

Hilary's hands rushed to her head. Somehow her hair had managed to frizz out looking like bed hair. Hilary grumbled and turned away from Ming Ming. Mariah gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that, Hilary's not usually like that," she said lying through her teeth. Hilary had a big heart, but she was quick to cast judgement on people.

"For the rest of the lesson could you please start reading the play?" Miss Kincaid said interrupting Ming Ming and Mariah's conversation. "It would be a good idea to get an ideal head start; that means less reading throughout the week." The students all lowered their heads and begun reading the play, even Ming Ming put aside her nail examinations to read. After another twenty minutes of silent reading, the bell rung and students sighed with relief. "Don't forget finish two scenes before the next double!" Miss Kincaid said as students exited the room.

"Urgh, that Ming Ming is such a bitch!" Hilary grumbled. "I don't care if she's some... singer, she has no right to insult me!"

"Just let it go Hilary, she's not worth the trouble," Mariah replied.

Matilda nodded. "Yeah, don't waste your time on her."

Hilary sighed. "I guess you're right... but if she tries something, I'm going to ensure she regrets coming here."

"Whatever Hilary," Mariah sighed. "Come on; let's meet the rest of the group. I wonder if they have caught sight of the other new students?"

The frown on Hilary's face turned into a smile. "It'll be something worth talking about that's for sure." Mariah smiled, pleased with Hilary's sudden attitude change. Little did she know the arrival of the new students would slowly lead to the breaking apart of tight friendships.

.

How was that? More drama in the next chapter! As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Macbeth Brings Everyone Together

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

C-Fan, Rangerapprentice, cOOlzanimeaDDIct, Omegaxis1 and IviWay for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Three: Macbeth Brings Everyone Together**

_Monday_

A male with bright blue eyes and spiky ginger hair let out a low whistle as he walked by a group of females. The girls at the school were hot and he couldn't wait to acquaint himself with the girls. With his superior intellect and irresistible charms, he knew he could win over any girl with ease. No one could resist his charms. Even some guys were wowed by his presence. "She's cute," he said, giving a girl a wink and flirty grin. The girl blushed, smiled faintly and walked away to join her friends.

"I think you made her nervous Brooklyn," his friend remarked, running a hand through his platinum blond heavily gelled hair. "How do I look?" he asked, fixing bright blue eyes on Brooklyn's face.

Brooklyn sighed. "Mystel, you've been checking your hair _all_ morning! You're just as bad as Ming Ming!"

Mystel made a fake hurt expression. "Don't compare me to a female, Brooklyn."

Smirking, Brooklyn continued. "Then stop acting like one." His head jerked in another direction. His eyes landed on another female, this time a girl with long brown hair and bright green eyes. His eyes trailed down fixing on her legs. "Damn, that girl has great legs." He whistled with appreciation. Whoever decided the girls ought to wear short skirts was a genius.

Mystel raised an eyebrow. "I didn't notice her legs... did notice she's got a fine rack on her though..." he trailed off, a slight grin appearing. "I swear you're the only person I know who harbours a leg fetish," Mystel added, giving Brooklyn a deadpanned expression. "You're a very weird person."

Brooklyn was not offended. "You're weird as well; I mean who eats cereal for dinner?" he questioned.

Mystel frowned. "I like cereal for dinner!" Seriously, what was wrong with having cereal before dinner? It wasn't that strange... was it? He considered interviewing random students for answers when he had time, but for now he had to get used to the school grounds. "So... what's first?"

Brooklyn pulled out a piece of paper and read it. "Boris says we have to participate in at least three co-curricular activities in the school to earn credit points. The more we get, the more spending money we get for Christmas," Brooklyn remarked.

"What co-curricular activities are there?"

Brooklyn turned the piece of paper over. "Well, the school has a range of activities ranging from stuff like chess, debating, singing to physical stuff like basketball and cheer sports. The school even has their own news report group headed by some chick named Mariah," he remarked. "Boris recommends we choose one activity from each area."

"Do the others know?" Mystel asked, referring to his other friends.

Brooklyn nodded. "Weren't you listening this morning at breakfast? Garland, Crusher and Ming Ming have already chosen their specific fields. Garland is focusing on martial arts, track and field and chess."

Mystel arched a blonde brow. "Chess?"

"I know, it's weird, but Garland apparently loves chess." He shrugged. "Ming Ming is obviously focusing on the cultural arty side of things such as singing and dancing. She's also applied for the news report group and becoming one of the stylists."

"And Crusher?"

"Crusher wants to do weightlifting and lots of charity work. I'm guessing he'll also attempt to get involved in the spiritual side of things. We probably won't see him often though; he's very concerned about Monica," Brooklyn said. Monica was Crusher's younger sister and she was scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant at the end of the month. Brooklyn felt sympathy for their friend; worrying about Monica occupied his mind all day and as a result, he usually fell behind in class work.

"What are you planning on doing then?"

Brooklyn scanned the list considering his options. "Well, I might join the mathematics team," he said, ignoring the look of disgust Mystel made. "And perhaps join the environmentalists and the debating team. Apparently the school has never won a debating round before." Brooklyn was going to ensure the record was no longer in the negative. "What were you thinking?"

Mystel grabbed the list off Brooklyn and examined the activities. "Probably various sporting activities I guess. Not interested in anything else," he commented. Music wasn't something he was talented in, nor was he much of an actor. Helping charity groups never sat well with him and debating was boring. He needed something that required him to engage in any form of athletics, whether that be sprinting, jumping or swimming. Mystel returned the paper to Brooklyn only to find Brooklyn was admiring another female. "Brooklyn."

Brooklyn jumped at his name then relaxed. He took the paper back and placed it inside his pants pocket. "Recess," he cheered. The thought of sitting down for a rest appealed to him. After a long morning of preparation, driving and learning he was exhausted and hungry. "I hope this school has a decent cafe," he commented, pulling out his wallet. "I've got money to burn and food to digest."

"Buy me something too Brooklyn," Mystel said.

Brooklyn frowned. "You forgot lunch money again?"

"I didn't _forget, _I just couldn't be bothered, that's all," Mystel said, narrowing his gaze. Brooklyn's stomach growled prompting the blond to grin. "Come on, let's go to the cafe."

.

_Monday, before and during English class_

Mariah sat herself down with the rest of her friends at the cafe in the one of the school halls. Usually, students were allowed to sit outside in various spots under trees and near the school creek, but Stanley decided he wanted all students eating under the same roof. His reasoning behind it was it would make it easier to locate students. The junior grades, years 8-10 had an area of their own while the seniors, years 11-12 had their own hall. "We have to read _Macbeth,"_Mariah said, placing her dagwood dog and can of coke on the table.

Matilda grinned. "Shakespeare is amazing! I'm totally excited for this term."

Hilary frowned. "The term would be so much better without that whore Ming Ming in our class," she muttered bitterly.

Rei took a bite out of his pizza slice, swallowed and looked at Hilary. "Ming Ming? Isn't she that pop singer who travels from bar to bar performing songs?" he questioned.

Julia nodded. "She sings at local festivals as well; I remember her performing some of her songs at the fashion fair last year." She grabbed her can of diet coke and took a sip, before placing it back on the table. "She wasn't that bad actually."

"She's not the only new person; she's arrived with four other guys," Gary said, picking up his ham and cheese burger.

Kevin nodded. "There's this one guy with crazy ginger hair that just joined our chemistry class today. He's very smart," he said in a slightly depressed tone. "That's going to make it harder for us to get the chemistry award at the end of the year," he added.

"Brooklyn's his name," Julia said. "He's basically like a child genius; he gets top results in everything, I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to take away the Dux of the Year," Julia commented, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "And that's not all; he's almost as good looking as Kane."

Rei forced a grim smile. "I'm guessing Kane won't like that very much; he doesn't like competition," he said. "He was angry in practice this morning when Eddy scored more points than he did."

Lee shook his head. "Kane needs to get over himself," he mumbled. "A new guy named Crusher joined my maths class, but he didn't stay for very long. After about fifteen minutes, he broke down in tears and had to leave the room," he added, shrugging. "Don't understand what his problem is. I mean I know maths is difficult, but I wouldn't cry over it."

Mariah looked at Julia sitting to her left. "Who else do you know about, and how do you know so much?"

Julia took another sip of her drink and answered Mariah's question. "There's also Mystel and Garland. Garland's currently practices martial arts and I heard he teaches it in some place in the city. He's won several awards already and as for Mystel, he's basically a guy that loves sport," she added. "A very good looking guy that loves sport," she corrected herself.

"So in other words, they are all talented individuals highly skilled in certain areas?" Hilary remarked. Julia nodded. "Great," Hilary mumbled depressed. "Like Mariah mentioned, how do you know so much?"

"I hear things, I observe and I research," Julia replied with a light shrug of the shoulders. "Oh look, Tyson and Kai!" Julia said, the corners of her mouth twisting into a smile. She jerked her head in the direction of the two boys. Tyson was laughing loudly and Kai had a sheepish grin on his face.

"Don't bring him over," Hilary muttered in the corner of her mouth. A tinge of red had appeared on her cheek.

Julia grinned at her friend and shook her head. "They're coming over to sit with us. I know you like Kai, but you need to get through his friend first." She turned her attention away from Hilary and called out Tyson's name, waving her hand up in the air. "Tyson! Sit with us!" she loudly exclaimed, pointing to the space next to her and Hilary. She knew him, but didn't normally associate with him.

Tyson glanced over at Kai and shrugged. He walked over to Julia's table and sat himself down in between her and Hilary. "What's up?" he asked laying down his plate of food on the table. Kai sat down opposite to Tyson squeezing in between Gary and Kevin.

Kevin's eyebrows rose as he examined the food. "Fish, chips, peas, potato and a sundae?" he asked gaping at Tyson.

Tyson frowned and placed his hands over his food fearing Kevin would take his plate. "Yes... what's it to you?" he asked suspiciously.

Hilary sighed. "Tyson, Kevin isn't going to steal your food," she said. She looked down at his plate and screwed her nose up in disgust. "How can you eat that much anyway?"

Tyson didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed his knife and fork and prepared to eat. He stabbed the tip of the fork into two chips and placed them in his mouth. He pulled off the chips, chewed quickly then swallowed only to repeat the process again.

Kai provided an eager response. "He's like a vacuum cleaner – sucks up everything in his path," he replied, directing his comment at Hilary. Hilary lifted her brows then brought them down just as quick, pressing her lips together in a grim smile. "I don't think I've talked to you before," he remarked.

Silly boy, Hilary thought. Of course you haven't... you don't even know my name! That was a blow to her self-confidence, but at least Kai tried to make a conversation with her. Not the best way to start, but a start nonetheless, she rationalized. "I'm Hilary."

Mariah caught Rei's eye and looked downwards at her plate of food, trying to stop a smile from crossing her face. "I'm Kai." He stuck out his hand and held it in front of her. She took it, feeling a jittery feeling in her stomach. It was as someone had cut open her stomach and put butterflies in there. She could only hope to the heavens above she wasn't blushing.

"Wait... you're the girl that tutors English students, right?" he asked, a grin crossing his face.

She hated being called 'the girl that tutors'. "That's me." What did he think of that? Did he like intelligent girls? Who knew what went on in that mind of his?

Kai clapped Tyson's shoulder. "He's really bad at English." He continued to stare at her as if searching for answers. She decided she couldn't look at him directly, so she watched Tyson until he decided to take a break. Only five chips remained of his plate.

"I can't believe we have to read _Macbeth,_" Tyson whined.

Matilda frowned. "_Macbeth_it's a good play Tyson," she said softly.

"You've read it before?" Tyson asked, surprised. Matilda nodded. "Why?" he asked, as if reading the same thing was a sin.

"As I said before, it's a good play." Matilda focused her attention on her food and carefully picked up her burger and took a bite.

"At least it's not _Romeo and Juilet,"_Rei said, earning a light chuckle from Kevin and Gary. Lee rolled his eyes while Kai pinched some of Tyson's leftover food. The boys couldn't sit through a class without making jokes about the forbidden love in the play. The girls however seemed to admire the play greatly, especially Hilary. She took the play personally, seeing herself as Juliet and Kai as Romeo.

Hilary rolled her eyes. "Typical," she muttered under her breath. "_Macbeth _still has themes of love in it, but there is more violence. I think it's the most violent of all Shakespeare's works," Hilary added.

Mariah nodded in agreement. "I think you'll like it Tyson," she said. "Lots of killing."

"Cool," Tyson remarked exchanging excited glances with Kai. He pushed his plate forwards and placed his copy of Shakespeare on the table. "I'm going to start reading now," Tyson declared. He opened the first page of the play. "...I can't understand this..." he said, closing the play and placing it back on his pile of books.

Hilary placed her hand on the play. "Stop it Tyson," she scolded.

Tyson looked at her with suspicion. "What?"

If she wanted to win Kai over, she needed to prove herself and what better way to start than helping Kai's friend understand the play? Surely, that would impress him. "Your defeatist attitude of course! You can read the play. You're not stupid," she said, looking into his eyes. "I know you can read this Tyson, you just need some help translating the Old English," she reasoned, trying to ignore Kai's interested look in the corner of her eyes. Unnerved by Hilary's intense stare, Tyson glanced back down at the play. "I can help you Tyson," she said. After all, I am the girl that tutors English.

Tyson also seemed quite surprised by Hilary's offer and glanced at her. "Did you just offer to help?" What was wrong this girl? She _tutored _English! How lame was that? He liked video gaming and eating, not studying. A thought occurred to him. _Whoa... is she into me? _Tyson thought. Girls didn't like him. They usually chased after Kai. This changed things. He straightened his posture and smiled.

"Uh... yeah, I believe I did," Hilary replied.

"I accept your offer."

Now Hilary was suspicious. Why the sudden change of heart? Oh God... I hope he doesn't think I'm into him... She wanted to bury her face in shame right there and then, but couldn't. Not in front of her friends and her crush. That would be embarrassing.

Kai faked a gasp. "You accept?"

Tyson nodded. "I'm going to show Miss Kincaid I'm not daft. Not doing this out of the goodness of my heart," he reasoned, giving Hilary a wink.

Rolling her eyes, she gave him a lopsided grin. "You'll have to work hard."

"Oh, she'll work you hard alright," Mariah commented. The girls giggled.

Hilary opened her mouth to say more, but fell silent. Her eyes narrowed at a girl with aqua hair standing in the centre of the cafe dining hall. Ming Ming.

**.**

Did you like Brooklyn and Mystel's introduction? What about Kai, Tyson and Hilary interaction? It's going to play a major part in this story. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	4. Diva!

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

sky dragon slayer, cOOLzanimeaDDict, Rangerapprentice, Omegaxis1 and IviWay for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Four: Diva!**

_Monday, cafeteria_

Hilary glared, hoping Ming Ming would pick up on her signal to 'back off', but the girl did not move. Instead, she flicked a strand of hair over her shoulder and walked down the middle of the hall as if she were a model on a catwalk. All male heads turned to face her and Hilary noticed that even Kai was staring at her. She frowned and mumbled under her breath. "She's not attractive at all."

One of the guys seated across the hall stood up from his chair and walked towards Ming Ming. A flirtatious grin was on his face and he closed the gap between himself and the object of his attention. "Oh my God, what does Enrique think he's doing?" Mariah said.

Matilda shrugged. "He's trying to pick her up. Something tells me she's not going to be impressed."

Ming Ming felt a presence behind her and she stopped. She glanced down at her freshly manicured nails and turned around only to face the chest of a tall, blonde male. She sighed and glanced upwards. Enrique's smiling face beamed down at her, but she was not fooled by his 'friendly' expression. She placed her hands on her hips and glared. "Look, spare me your lame pick up lines; I'm not interested," she replied, holding an outstretched palm towards him.

Enrique was shocked. Never had he experienced this! "I...uh..." The poor boy was lost for words and his cheeks reddened. He stuttered and glanced around for support from his friends. His friends, a group of high class rich teenagers, looked at him confused. What was going on?

"Oh she's not going to last long here," Hilary said, the corners of her mouth forming into a slight grin.

Julia nodded. "Yeah, no girl rejects Enrique's advances." Enrique was known as BeyCity High's most notorious womanizer and was known to tempt girls to date him. It was rumoured he paid for dates. How any girl could fall for his fake charm was difficult to digest, and she knew she would never fall for it. She had fallen for it once and she learnt from her mistake.

Ming Ming seemed satisfied and even smirked to herself after Enrique headed back towards his table. Hilary could feel her blood boil; how dare she walk around the hall like she owned the place? She didn't like Enrique or his silly friends; but Ming Ming was far worse than the group combined. But before she could voice her opinion on the situation, Ming Ming turned her attention on a ginger haired girl sitting at a nearby table. "Move," she said casually standing before the girl.

The girl flared her nostrils. "My name is Emily and I'm not going to move. I was here first." She turned her attention back to her food and took a bite.

Ming Ming placed her hands on her hips and stared down. "I'm not saying it again. You either move now or I will make your life a living hell," she stated bluntly.

Emily rolled her eyes. "You haven't got a chance. My friends will stand up for me," she glanced around and noticed Ming Ming was alone. "Where are yours?" she stated smugly, thinking she had won.

The petite girl wrapped a delicate finger around a lock of aqua hair and carelessly flicked it over her shoulder. "I have friends; they're making their way over now," she said, smiling sweetly. Two guys, one ginger and one blonde, joined Ming Ming's side. "Brooklyn; Mystel; meet Emily, the resident nerd."

Brooklyn, the ginger, raised an eyebrow. "Nerd eh?" A smirk crossed his features.

The blond beside him laughed. "She doesn't look like much Brooklyn, don't waste your time with this one," he replied, earning a laugh from Brooklyn.

Hilary watched the two boys exchange high fives and clenched her fist underneath the table. Ming Ming might be new, but she was not going to parade around the school like she owned the place. It was going to end. She arose from her chair and started to make her way towards Ming Ming. Mariah grabbed her arm and glanced up at her. "What are you doing? You can't interfere!" she reasoned.

Hilary freed herself from Mariah's grip and shook her head. "She can't do this!"

Mariah sighed. "Hilary, listen to me. Ming Ming's a bitch and fighting her is just going to make matters worse. She'll humiliate you; look what happened in class recently," she explained, referring to Macbeth english lesson.

Hilary glanced back at Ming Ming then at Mariah, considering her options. Mariah's words were true; Ming Ming carried herself with great confidence and power. She would undoubtedly cause Hilary trouble, but could she let another friend be bullied by a newcomer? "I'm sorry Mariah, but it's for the best. Ming Ming needs to be shown that snobbish princesses will not be tolerated here." Without uttering another word, Hilary marched towards Ming Ming.

Ming Ming seemed to have noticed Hilary's presence and sighed. "Just when I thought my day was beginning to brighten..." she sighed, and fixed her attention on Hilary. "Do you have a problem? Was it something I said?" Ming Ming asked mockingly, enjoying the look of frustration on her face. "Still no luck in finding a brush?"

She grumbled and struggled to ignore Ming Ming's petty insults. "Leave Emily alone; she has done nothing."

"Oh you're friends..." Ming Ming started. She cast a disdainful glance at Emily and nodded. "I can see why... both of you really need to see a beauty therapist." She tapped her left cheek gently. "You've got something on your face Emily." Emily muttered under her breath and wiped her face.

From Hilary's table, Mariah shook her head. The conversation was loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "I need to do something," she said.

Rei looked at her, a worried expression on his face. "Don't get yourself involved Mariah," he said gently, holding her hand.

Mariah shook her head. "Hilary's a friend; I'm not going to leave her fight battles for herself," she responded. She stood up from her seat and walked over to Hilary, ignoring the looks she received from the school body.

"Emily doesn't need a beauty therapist," Hilary said, seething with rage. "Beauty comes from within."

Ming Ming sighed again. "You keep telling yourself that, but I guess you need some hope to cling to," she muttered.

At this point, Hilary was ready to launch herself forward, but Mariah held her back. "Drop it Hilary," she whispered, "she's not worth the trouble."

Hilary took in a deep breath and calmed herself. "You're right Mariah." She turned her back and prepared to head back to the table where her friends awaited her when Brooklyn spoke.

"Hey, where are you going? We never had the chance to acquaint ourselves," he said. "I'm Brooklyn." He bowed and held his hand towards Hilary.

"I don't want to touch any part of you, let alone your hand," Hilary replied scathingly.

Brooklyn forced a smirk, but the slight hint of anger was in his tone. "And I wouldn't want to touch you anyway; not even with a ten foot pole," he replied with a sneer.

Mariah growled. "Leave my friend alone."

Brooklyn turned to face her. "Oh jealous are we?" He ran his eyes from head to toe and smirked. "At least you're more pleasing to the eye than that wench," he stated harshly, jerking his head in Hilary's direction. He examined Mariah with close scrutiny, "Not that you're much better."

Hilary could feel tears threatening to spill and she sniffed. She considered herself a strong character, but the prospect of being ugly hurt her. Maybe that's why Kai never looked once in her direction? Nor spoke to her until today. Because she was ugly? Dull? Pathetic? She rubbed her eyes again and drew in a sharp breath. Mariah realized her friend was beginning to lose control. If Hilary broke down here she would never live it down.

"Keep it together Hilary," Mariah whispered, "until we're out of sight."

Hilary nodded, and the two left Ming Ming and her friends alone to annoy Emily. Julia stood up from the table ready to rush over to Hilary's aid, but Mariah shook her head. The less people the less attention from the crowd. Julia understood and sat herself back down at the table trading worried glances with the others.

Once Mariah and Hilary were away from the public, Hilary ran into one of the toilet cubicles crying. Mariah waited outside patiently, occasionally attempting to talk to her friend behind the closed door. "Hilary, don't listen to them. They're just trying to upset you," Mariah reasoned. Hilary drew in a deep breath and tried to speak, but a large lump had formed in her throat preventing her from speaking. Several more sobs escaped her.

Mariah bit her lip. She hated seeing her friends in a miserable state especially someone like Hilary; someone she admired for being strong-willed and courageous. "Brooklyn's just your typical jerk Hilary; you don't need a guy like him. And Ming Ming? Don't get me started," she added, trying to sound light-hearted.

Eventually, Hilary opened the door and exited wiping her eyes with the back palm of her hand. "They think I'm ugly," she said sniffing. "What if _he _thinks I'm ugly?" she added, looking at Mariah with brown hurtful eyes.

By '_he' _Hilary meant Kai. Mariah wasn't sure what words to say to comfort the poor girl. Kai was clueless; he probably didn't even know that Hilary was a girl. Mariah wasn't sure if Hilary's wishes would ever come true. Kai wasn't known for being romantic; hell Kai had no experience in romantic affairs at all. Did he even know what a girl was? She doubted it.

"You're not ugly Hilary," Mariah said. "Ignore their petty comments."

Hilary didn't seem any better. "That's a lie," she muttered.

"Hold your chin up high; you're beautiful and smart; you have fantastic friends who care about you deeply," Mariah said, trying her best to comfort Hilary. "Brooklyn and Ming Ming are just too blind to see it."

Hilary looked at her blankly. "See what?"

"True beauty," Mariah replied.

The corners of Hilary's mouth tipped into a small smile and she gave Mariah a hug. "Thanks Mariah, you saved me back there," she said.

Mariah grinned. "We're friends Hilary; that's what friends do – stick up for each other."

Hilary smiled again and glanced down at her watch. Her mouth dropped open in shock. "We're going to be late for class!" she exclaimed.

"What class do you have next? I have ancient history unfortunately," she mumbled.

"Physics," Hilary replied. "I hope neither of those clowns we saw before are going to be in our classes."

"And if they are we'll just show them how awesome we are, right?" Mariah said, smiling. "A new group of students will not spoil our final year."

Hilary pondered Mariah's words and smiled back. "Of course not." The two girls made their way back to the locker room to grab the books for the next lesson. "By the way, how's the new report team looking?"

"Well Stanley wants a new member to join the team. I told him it's not necessary, but he's very persistent. He's paying me a visit today during class to discuss potential candidates," Mariah explained. "I'm hoping that one of Enrique's silly friends didn't apply for it."

"They're too stupid to even be considered for the role," Hilary replied, earning a light-hearted chuckle from Mariah. "I would apply, but being on the student council is a handful."

"At least you have good students working with you on the council. I've got nothing but stupid girls on my team," she said, rolling her eyes. "I had to spend an entire meeting listening to Mariam talk about her sex life with Michael," she said, shuddering. "Totally revolting."

Hilary shook her head. "Sounds terrible. I don't know what she sees in that guy."

Mariah shrugged. "I don't know either." The girls reached the locker room and both entered their combinations to grab their books. "I'll see you after lunch?"

Hilary nodded. "Bye!"

Mariah waved Hilary goodbye before making her way to her ancient history classroom. Sitting through a class about ancient civilizations bored her to death, but at least she could use the time to think about the morning's events. As she entered the classroom, she looked around hoping the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Fortunately, the teacher wasn't present and she sighed with relief. At least she escaped a demerit for being late to class.

As she sat down in her favourite position, she noticed there was an empty desk next to her. Usually, one of the guys from Enrique's silly crew of friends sat next to her, but it was strangely absent. Perhaps they had come to some sense and pulled out of class? She certainly hoped so. Trying to concentrate while listening to stupid flirtatious talk annoyed her. She could only hope someone decent sat next to her.

Her hopes were soon crushed as a familiar blonde entered the room. She immediately recognized him as the friend of Brooklyn and Ming Ming. Dread overcame here and she silently wished the floor would swallow him up whole so she didn't have to see them. Unfortunately, the floor did not open and he surveyed the room, looking for a place to sit. "Please not next to me," she mumbled.

Luck did not appear to be on Mariah's side as the blond decided sitting next to her would be the perfect spot. Mariah put her head on the table and cursed inwardly before sitting herself up. She would not speak to him. Ignoring him was the best policy.

.

How was that for a dramatic chapter? Seems like there's a new group of elitist students taking over, how will Kane and his friends cope? Will Mystel drive Mariah into insanity? Find out more in the next chapter! As always, reviews much appreciated!


	5. Set Back

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Rangerapprentice, sky dragon slayer, cOOlazanimeaDDict, Omegaxis1 and IviWay for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Five: Set Back**

_Monday, history class_

Mystel glanced around the room searching for a suitable position. Usually, he preferred sitting at the back so he could get a good view of his classmates. Unfortunately, there were no back seats available. His eyes were soon drawn to an empty seat next to a pretty girl with pink hair held together by a pink bow. He smirked to himself. He might be sitting closer to the front, but he would have a pretty hot girl sitting next to him to keep him company.

He carried his books and made his way to the empty table next to the girl. Upon drawing closer he realized she was the girl that was with Hilary at recess. He flashed her one of his trademark smirks and sat himself beside her. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed before returning her attention back on her work. "So... aren't you going to introduce yourself to me? We never had the chance before..." Mystel said, referring to the event that had taken place in the cafeteria hall. The girl remained silent. Silence always bothered him. "I'm Mystel, and you are?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

The girl placed her pen on the table and glanced at him. Definitely hot,she thought then scolded herself for having such a thought. What would Rei think? Rei wouldn't care, it's not like I want to sleep or date him or anything, she reasoned. And what of Hilary? What would Hilary say if Mariah thought one of the enemies was 'hot'? "I'm Mariah," she answered aloud. "You're new here right?"

Mystel nodded and ran a hand through his spiky platinum blond hair. "Yep, certainly am."

Upon closer inspection, she recognized him immediately as the friend of Brooklyn and Ming Ming. She ignored his comment and turned her attention back to the work, occasionally glancing up to take down notes off the board. She was not going to waste another word on him. I can't believe I think he's hot, she thought.

"You know, it's considered rude to ignore someone that is talking to you," Mystel said, hoping to stir some sort of reaction from Mariah, but the girl didn't budge. He frowned, sighed and turned his attention to his exercise book and pencil. He picked the pencil up and made stabbing motions at the paper on the table.

Mariah continued to look at the board trying to ignore Mystel's pencil stabbing actions. Every few minutes, Mystel quickly glanced at Mariah wondering if she was annoyed but she remained silent. He frowned. Maybe Mariah was one of those silly nerds? She didn't look like one. He quickened the pace of his pencil stabbing actions and Mariah finally spoke. "Would you stop doing that?" she hissed. "I'm trying to concentrate!"

Mystel grinned and applauded himself mentally for getting her attention. At least she was speaking now. "Well at least I know you're not mute."

Mariah gave him a look of disbelief. "I talk when I feel like it," she replied. "I need to listen to the lesson."

Mystel turned his attention to the front of the class, watching the teacher, Dr. Zagart, pace back and forth in front of the board. "Are you serious?" he started. "You'd rather listen to this old fool blabber on about Egyptian culture than talk to your neighbour?" he asked.

"Yes," Mariah said in a slow drawl. "He's got more to say than you have I'm sure," she added.

Mystel sat back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. "You're upset over the whole Ming Ming-Hilary incident, right?" he said staring at her intently. "Can't say I blame you; Hilary was out of line."

The pink haired girl dropped her pencil onto her desk. "What?" she said, snapping her head in his direction. Cyan blue eyes watched her with amusement. Mariah cursed herself. He's enjoying this...

"As I said, Hilary was out of line. She shouldn't pick a fight with Ming Ming especially not in front of the entire school. A little bit stupid if you ask me," he commented.

Mariah disliked Mystel with every passing second. "That's my friend you're talking about."

"Mariah! Please stop talking!" Dr. Zagart snapped.

Mariah's cheeks reddened and she glanced down at her notes. She furiously scribbled down the words on the board whilst trying to ignore the heavy lingering stare from Mystel. She cringed inwardly. His continuous staring made her uneasy. "If you wanted a picture you should've taken a photo."

Mystel smirked. "As tempting as that offer is, I'm afraid I can't. No camera policy you see."

Mariah had her own retort ready. "I never expected you to be the type to stick to rules."

Mystel wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "There's a lot of things you wouldn't expect from me. I'd be willing to show you if you'd like."

Mariah held her hand up as if trying to create a wall between herself and Mystel. "Please stop talking to me."

A wide grin crossed his face. "Aww have I offended you?" he said mockingly.

Just ignore him Mariah, she told herself. She tried to shut Mystel's voice out, but he continued to talk. It was surprising how Dr. Zagart didn't yell at him for being a nuisance. She glanced at the clock. What felt like an eternity had only been fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes! There was still forty minutes to go. Forty minutes of listening to a stupid blond prattle on about nothing.

"By any chance do you have a mirror on you?" Mystel suddenly asked.

Could the conversation get any weirder? Mariah wasn't sure. "What?"

"I need a mirror and I figure that because you girls are always making a big deal about your appearance that you would have a mirror on you," he remarked. "So... do you?"

Mariah shook her head. "No."

Mystel sighed, disappointed. "What a shame. I won't be able to check my hair..." he grumbled, running a hand through his hair. It took him several hours every day to perfect his hair. It was like a work of art.

"You're thinking about your hair at a time like this?" Mariah said. She had thought Kane was an arrogant fool, but Mystel was worse.

"It _is _a work of art," he said proudly.

Mariah frowned. "If I wanted to see the back of a porcupine I would've gone to the zoo," she replied. His hair did look like it was styled after a porcupine. She didn't understand the obsession with hair gel; in fact, she thought applying hair gel was a waste of time and made the user look like a self-pretentious git. It wasn't 'cool' at all! After all, what was so awesome about digging a hand into a tub of gel and applying it to hair only to mess it up?

"MARIAH!" Dr. Zagart shouted again.

Mariah's mouth dropped open. "Dr. Zagart, Mystel started it!" she accused.

Dr. Zagart stopped writing notes on the board and faced Mariah. She sunk in her chair. "Mariah, if you interrupt class again I will give you a demerit!" he snapped. The look on his face was serious; he wouldn't hesitate giving one of the school's brightest students a demerit. Mariah grumbled under her breath; it was definitely not her lucky day.

Fortunately, Mystel fell silent and Mariah was relieved by this. No more having to listen to Mystel prattle on about nonsense. She certainly hoped it stayed that way for the remainder of the lesson.

.

_Spare class_

During the spare, Hilary had decided to get a head start on tutoring Tyson, but he was proving to be difficult to how many times she explained the script, Tyson refused to comprehend her words. Could he really be this daft? Was she wrong to tutor him? Or was he simply uncomfortable? "Tyson, what's the matter?" she asked concerned.

Tyson sat up in his chair and groaned. "I hate _Macbeth,_" he whined. "I hate school. I hate learning. I want to be beyblading again," he muttered bitterly.

Hilary sighed. "Tyson, beyblading part of your life is over now; you have to focus on education."

Tyson glared. "I had everything going for me Hilary. Three world titles which gave me fame and glory. "I earned enough money to last me for the rest of my life and now look at me." He placed his hands on his lap and looked at the floor. "Now I spend my days in a school listening to teachers prattle on about stuff while my money is in grandpa's hands."

"That 'stuff' is important Tyson."

He leaned back on his chair and glanced up at the ceiling, a bored expression on his face. "I hate it. Why is education compulsory anyway? It's useless."

"Tyson, despite what you think, education _is _important." She opened _Macbeth _and pushed the book towards him. "And I'm going to help you pass this class."

Tyson didn't move. "Why is it so important to you that I pass this class?" he asked, eyes lingering on her face searching for answers.

Hilary froze. She wasn't expecting this. "Because I don't want to see you fail."

Tyson placed a hand on Hilary's arm. "It's because you want to prove that you're really smart right? That's why you're tutoring me." He furrowed his brows. "Or perhaps there's another reason..."

Hilary's face blanched. "What are you talking about?" Did he suspect her true intentions?

"I'm not a nerd like you and I struggle with school and you're tutoring me to prove to everyone you can tutor someone stupid just to impress Kai," Tyson explained. He stood up from his chair. "I should've known you weren't doing this out of kindness."

Tyson picked up his books and marched towards the classroom entrance. Hilary stood up and hurried after him, but it was too late. He had left and she was alone. She closed the door and leaned against it, holding her version of_Macbeth_to her chest. He knew. Was he going to tell Kai?

.

_History class_

Mariah was busy doodling on her paper out of sheer boredom when a sudden knock on the door drew her attention away from Mystel. Stanley Dickenson, principal of Bey High, entered the classroom and his eyes were immediately locked on Mariah. "Dr. Zagart, could I please speak to Mariah and Mystel?"

Dr. Zagart nodded and motioned for Mariah and Mystel to exit the room. "Have you found a new member to join?" she asked.

The aging man shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. The students who applied for the job cannot be taken seriously."

"We don't need another member anyway; we're managing the news with ease," Mariah said. Her words were true.

"I'm afraid I need another member on the team Mariah, it's not fair for you to handle more work in addition to year twelve studies," he explained. "You're one of our brightest students and it would pain me to see you fail because of your extra commitment."

Mystel decided now was a good time to talk. "News report team?" he questioned. "What's that about?"

Stanley explained the basics of the job to him. "It's a student run activity. At the end of every term, the students on the team make a school magazine based on the events of the term," he explained. "Each member handles a certain area; sports, cultural, spiritual, charity and general," he added. "Would you be interested in joining? It would mean a lot I'm sure."

Mystel glanced at Mariah and noticed the brief flicker of fear on her face. He smirked to himself. He had a plan. "I'd be honoured."

"Mr. Dickenson, there's really no need. He's new anyway and..." she said hurriedly.

"Mariah," Stanley started sounding surprised. "It's a perfect opportunity for Mystel to experience the wonders of BeyCity High!"

Mystel flashed Mariah a triumphant smirk and Mariah wished she could wipe it off his face. "Fine," she muttered angrily. "Don't blame me if it's too difficult for you to handle," she said looking directly at Mystel. "The meeting is during our spare... which just happens to be next," she added dryly. Another hour with Mystel. What a joy.

Mystel sidled up next to Mariah and whispered in her ear. "I may just surprise you," he said grinning. "I'll see you at the meeting." And with that said, he walked out of the classroom and towards the locker room. Mariah sighed annoyed and stormed out of the classroom. Could her day possibly get any worse?

.

And the drama begins to heat up. In the next chapter, I'll be focusing on some Team Psykick stuff and more BEGA. There will be four stories being told here (focus on different character pairings) with one common theme. Can you identify them? As always, reviews much appreciated!


	6. Welcome to the Family

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

guest 1, sky dragon slayer, candylovinchild, guest 2, Omegaxis1 and IviWay and for reviewing!

**.**

**Chapter Six: Welcome to the Family**

_Monday, after history class_

Mariah grabbed her books off her desk and stormed down the hallway towards her locker. Angry thoughts rushed through her mind; how on earth could Stanley recruit Mystel as part of the news report team? Sensing her frustration, Mystel chased after her eager to pester her for more information. "So Mariah, are you threatened by me?"

What? Mariah halted and spun around. "What are you talking about? Threatened?" She let out a harsh laugh before turning back to her locker.

Mystel walked to her right side and leant against one of the lockers. "You're upset because I'm part of the team now right?" Mariah ignored him and concentrated on punching the correct combination to unlock the locker. "I'm not going to slack off if that's what you're worried about," he added.

The locker opened and Mariah pushed back the door and placed her books inside only to replace them with new books. Couldn't he just leave her alone? "Mystel... I appreciate your enthusiasm about being a part of the team, but could you please back off?" she asked nicely, batting her eyelashes at him.

Mystel smirked. "I'll see you shortly... at the meeting," he said, whispering in her ear before walking off, a triumphant grin on his face.

Mariah rolled her eyes. Just her luck. An immature annoying male on the team. What on earth was she going to do? As she headed towards the room, she was greeted by a teary Hilary. Concerned for her friend, Mariah hurriedly walked over to Hilary. "What's the matter Hilary?"

Hilary forced a grin. "He thinks I offered to tutor him simply to boast about my academic intelligence," she said, trying hard not to choke on her words. "I told him I truly wanted to tutor him, but he doesn't believe me," she added sadly. "He thinks I'm doing it for Kai."

Mariah felt great sympathy for her friend. She knew Hilary's feelings for Kai ran deep and the thought of Tyson turning Hilary away made her sad. Why couldn't her friends be in happy relationships? It seemed she was the only one with luck when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder trying to provide comfort. "I'm sure he'll come around. You know what Tyson's like – slow to get a grip on things." She hoped for Hilary's sake she was right.

Hilary forced a grin. "I'm not sure he will Mariah... he's so stubborn and set in his ways. I doubt he'll see my side of fence." Her face darkened. Her bottom lip trembled. "What if he tells Kai?"

"Have some faith Hilary; you need to talk to him, be aggressive... but don't push him away," she explained. "Tyson doesn't seem like the type to sell people out, I doubt he'll tell Kai. Besides, he has no proof anyway." Why did Tyson have to be so selfish? He could at least make the experience much easier on Hilary. She didn't have to tutor hi. Despite her best intentions, she didn't want to interfere. It was between Tyson and Hilary.

Hilary sighed. "You're right... you're _always _right. Tyson will come around, I'll make him see sense," she said. "Thanks Mariah." She gave her a friend a parting hug before leaving the hallway in the opposite direction.

Mariah smiled to herself. At least Hilary had managed to pull herself together in a short amount of time. That was typical Hilary – always able to bounce back from a minor setback. She hoped things turned out for Hilary. But at the moment, she had other matters to attend to: introducing Mystel to her group of female reporters.

.

_Meeting_

Mariah wanted to vomit. Watching Mystel spellbound her fellow friends was sickening. All he had to do was simply smirk and the girls would swoon. At this rate nothing would be accomplished! She had to set the record straight. "Mystel... there's time for socializing later. We need to focus on the task at hand," she said, using her best authority voice.

One of the girls, a skinny tanned brunette named Alyssa, rolled her eyes. "Ugh Mariah, you're so rude. Mystel's new, I think it's only fair we give him a warm welcome," she said, fixing her dark eyes on Mariah.

Mariah sighed. Of course Alyssa would want to acquaint herself with the new guy. She was _always _warming up to new people especially if they were attractive. With a flip of her luscious long black hair over her shoulder and a crossing of her slender legs, she gave Mystel a warm suggestive smile. "Nice to know some people around her have manners," Mystel replied, throwing a glance in Mariah's direction.

Alyssa giggled, twirling a lock of her around her finger. "Mariah isn't known for giving warm receptions," she added.

Where was a bucket when you needed one? Any more of Alyssa's pathetic attempts to flirt and Mariah might be forced into physically pushing Alyssa out of the room. "Look, we can talk later alright? Stanley's run as principal ends this month and I want to ensure our newspaper highlights all the things he has achieved during his time," Mariah said.

This grabbed Alyssa's attention. "Stanley's leaving?"

Mariah nodded. "I should've mentioned it earlier, but I forgot. He's retiring and someone else will replace him. Who the replacement is, no one knows but its rumoured Judy will be taking over the job," she said.

Alyssa grinned. "Oh that would be good – Stanley is a horrible principal. Judy would be a fine choice."

Mystel raised an eyebrow. "What's so bad about Stanley? He seems like a nice guy."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "You're only new so I'll forgive you for saying that... he's incompetent! He never gets anything done! Deadlines are never met! And he favours students," she darted a quick glance at Mariah before turning back to Mystel. "He's the worst thing to happen to this school. Judy on the other hand, is strict, well mannered and intelligent. She's a woman who knows how to get things done." She looked at the other girls in the room for support. The other girls nodded.

Mariah sighed. "Look, this isn't a debate about who would be a better principal – we're talking about a farewell here, and I want to ensure he gets the farewell he deserves," she said, defensively. Despite Alyssa's claims, Stanley was a good principal. A little slow in meeting deadlines, but he was getting old. He was very pleasant to talk to and always seemed to connect with students, something which she highly valued.

Alyssa curled a lock of hair around her finger and then examined her nails. "Alright... what do you want us to do?" she asked curtly.

"Interview random students, ask them to give Stanley a goodbye message," she said. "And that's all – I'll handle the main report."

Mystel raised an arm. "What about me?"

Mariah shook her head. "I have no need for you."

Mystel smirked. "That's not very nice; I am a part of the team."

That was true unfortunately. "I'm not trying to be mean, but you don't know Stanley as well as the rest of us... I mean, you just arrived. You can have an active role when the new principal is announced. Is that alright?" she asked, looking at him directly in the eyes. A cold chill ran down her spine. He certainly had beautiful eyes. She mentally slapped herself. What the... he's a pompous brat! A pompous attractive brat. That was a fact she could not deny. And by the looks of it, he _knew _he was attractive. Pull yourself together Mariah!She scolded herself.

"So... I guess that's the meeting over then?" Alyssa said.

Mariah snapped out of her trance and nodded. "Yes. We'll meet again next week at the same time."

The others nodded, stood up from their chairs and exited the room. Only Mystel and Mariah remained. Mariah made a break for the door, but Mystel blocked her path. "Mystel... I have to go."

He didn't budge. Instead, he fixed his eyes on her face as if examining her closely. "You know, you're not a bad looking girl," he said, a grin on his face.

"I don't care what you think," she replied roughly. "Anyway... it seems you have quite a few admirers."

"Is that jealousy I detect?" he asked lightly, wagging an eyebrow suggestively.

She wanted to slap him, but of course she couldn't do that without facing the consequences. Besides, she made a pact with herself – never let a guy gain the upperhand. She took in a deep breath. "Jealous? I have nothing to be jealous of," she said, glaring up at him.

He wasn't much taller than herself... in fact, he was relatively short. But what he lacked in height, he made up for with confidence and appearance. He seemed satisfied with her answer and stepped aside to let her out. As he watched her exit, a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. Mariah would eventually fall for his charm – no girl could resist him.

.

_After the meeting_

Although fuming inside, Mariah exited the room calmly. No anger showed on her face, but she certainly felt it. She enjoyed being the leader of the school report team, but for once in her life, she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue. She couldn't concentrate with _him _around. Who did he think he was turning the girls against their leader? It wasn't as if he provided a solid justification – simply charmed the girl with a few sly grins. Her fists tightened as she stormed down the hallway.

"Mariah!"

Mariah stopped and turned around sharply to find the familiar faces of Rei and Lee staring back at her. She sighed with relief. "Hi Rei," she said, forcing a grin. "Hello Lee," she added.

Rei walked up to greet his girlfriend with a tight hug and peck on the cheek. "What's the matter?" he asked, hazel eyes staring at her with concern.

Lee was also concerned about his younger sister. "Someone bothering you?"

"You know those new kids that arrived here?"

Rei nodded. "What about them?

"That blond kid, the one called Mystel just happens to be part of the school report team," she said bluntly.

Lee arched an eyebrow. "He certainly doesn't strike me as the 'academic' type."

Mariah rolled her eyes. "I know right? But Stanley thought it would be a great idea and now I'm stuck with him. What makes things worse is that he's charming all the girls and has successfully managed to turn them against me! I mean... what the hell?" she said, forcing an exasperated sigh. "I've known these girls for years now. I would've thought I had their loyalty and support... but I was wrong."

Rei enveloped his muscular arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "I'm sure they'll come around, maybe they were just trying to make him feel welcome?" he suggested.

Mariah shook her head. "Oh they were trying to make him feel welcome that's for sure," she muttered bitterly. "Judging by Alyssa's display today, I wouldn't be surprised if the two became a couple within the next hour." She couldn't understand girls like Alyssa – flirt with a guy for an hour and take him on a date the next.

"Don't let them bother you okay? They're not worth it," said Rei, assuring Mariah. "Just ignore them unless its absolutely necessary you have to talk with them."

"Oh believe me, I will _not_be on friendly terms with any of them anytime soon," she said sarcastically. "Eh, enough about the new people. What subject do you have next?" she asked.

"Biology," Rei said. "With Judy. Can you believe my luck?" Although a nice mother, Judy was a completely different person when teaching. She did not tolerate noise, nonsense or failure and would give out demerits to any student for ridiculous reasons such as failing to do homework. Students were terrified of Judy, and even her son, Max dared not cross her.

Mariah glanced at her brother. "Chemistry... I don't know why I bothered taking the subject," he mumbled, glancing down at the huge textbook under his arm.

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "Why did you take it?"

Lee sighed. "Tao convinced me to do it... at least Gary and Kevin are taking the subject... I'll take their notes..."

Mariah gently shoved her brother. "You're so lazy Lee; you have to put effort in yourself."

"Just be glad Judy isn't taking chemistry," Rei said, giving his friend a sideways glance. "What's the time?" he asked suddenly.

Lee dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone to check the time. "Twelve thirty. We've got lunch now Rei," he said.

Rei sighed with relief. "For a second there I almost forgot about lunch... Judy wants us at class ten minutes early! Can you believe it?"

Mariah patted him gently on the shoulder. "You'll be fine Rei."

"Anyway, I'm getting hungry. Shall we eat?" Lee said. Rei and Mariah exchanged grins and nodded. The trio headed towards the cafeteria for another round of food.

**.**

Well, I'm not a fan of the new changes, but I'm not going to change how I format my chapters. It'll look a bit stupid if I change things now. Anyways, the story will not follow the original version from now on. Things will be different as will be evident in the next chapter. There will be some BEGA scenes, some Tyson and Kai and also Team Psykick.

On a side note, I do realize this story might sound like a few others because it's a highschool story, but I'm trying to focus on issues people face during those years. Yes, ideas will be similar but it won't be as predictable. This is not a 'bad guy wins good girl' over story – far from it. Oh, and Alyssa is mine. She's an OC bitch for a reason, but she won't feature much. Just a background character because the beyblade girls already have roles to play. As always, reviews much appreciated : D


	7. The Betting Game

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Rangerapprentice, Omegaxis1 and IviWay for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Seven: The Betting Game**

_Monday, recess_

After the short, but informative meeting Mystel made his way to the courtyard where his friend Brooklyn awaited him. Brooklyn stood under the jacaranda tree holding a giant chemistry textbook in his hands. Mystel glanced at the book and raised an eyebrow at Brooklyn. "Chemistry?" Mystel asked.

Brooklyn shrugged. "I've always liked science."

"Say goodbye to your social life," Mystel remarked. "Ah well, better you than me."

Brooklyn looked up from his book and glanced at Mystel. A smirk crossed his lips. "How about you and I make our year just a little more interesting?" he asked.

Mystel frowned. "How so?"

Brooklyn's smirk widened. "Here's the deal – if you get a girlfriend before me, I'll do your homework for a month." He knew Mystel was incapable of winning therefore he didn't have to worry about the conditions of the dare itself. Of course, Mystel could easily decline but he knew the blond fully believed he could pick up any girl.

Mystel nodded. "I was expecting something difficult Brooklyn," he replied. He placed his hands behind his neck and lay down on the grass. "Looking forward to being my slave for a month?"

Brooklyn's smirk remained. "But here's the main condition – you can only target one girl."

Mystel sat upright and raised an eyebrow at Brooklyn. "One girl?"

"I know which girl I'm going to target," Brooklyn said.

"And which poor victim is she?"

"Matilda," he said.

"The girl with the light pink hair?" What did Brooklyn see in her? Perhaps he was just looking for an easy girl so he could win the challenge otherwise Mystel couldn't see no other reason to target Matilda. He on the other hand preferred a challenge and he knew exactly which girl to target. "Picking easier girls to ensure victory Brooklyn?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "Matilda will be a challenge."

"I'll take Mariah then."

"Mariah?" Brooklyn knew victory was his. Mystel could not have chosen a more difficult target. What was he thinking selecting Mariah? "I believe Mariah and Rei are together." He had been watching them and there was no denying the two were in love.

Mystel frowned. "Who the hell is Rei?"

Brooklyn sighed. "You're not very observant are you?" Mystel looked at him expectantly waiting for an answer. "He's the Chinese with the long jet black hair," he explained.

An image of Rei formed in his mind. Rei wasn't anything special in his eyes. It wasn't as if the guy was attractive or anything. Perhaps Rei was the sweet, sensitive and caring type? If so, winning Mariah over would be easy. All it took was a slight change in personality and Mariah would be his. Battling off Rei would not be a difficult task either. "Rei and Mariah won't last," Mystel said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was banging some other chick."

Brooklyn shrugged. "He doesn't look the type."

"You don't know him."

"And neither do you."

Mystel fell silent having lost the argument. He needed to concentrate on the dare and winning Mariah before Brooklyn got to Matilda.

.

Garland spotted his friends sitting under the jacaranda tree and walked over to join them. He was greeted with a polite 'hello'. He took his place next to Brooklyn and placed his textbook on mathematics on the grass. Brooklyn glanced over Garland's shoulder and nodded approvingly. "Oh you're taking advanced mathematics as well?"

Mystel snorted. Mathematics was a complete waste of time in his eyes. As far as he was concerned only the basics were needed to get somewhere in life. It's not like he was going to use algebra when ordering something. "Mathematics... shit subject."

"Those that don't understand hate," Brooklyn mentioned lightly, earning a glare from the blond.

"Whatever," Mystel muttered, flopping down onto the grass to relax.

"How has your day been so far?" Garland asked.

Brooklyn sighed. "Alright I guess, although the nerds have taken an instant disliking of me. I think they're worried I'm going to get higher marks than then." He chuckled at the thought. The nerds consisted of a group of four elite academic students – Robert, Kenny, Emily and Jim. They were distinguished by the badges on their uniform which marked them as part of the mathletes team. "They're probably going to try and get me on the mathletes team or something."

"Perhaps you'll be able to attract Matilda with your nerdiness," Mystel commented.

Brooklyn grinned. "Jealous?"

Mystel shook his head. "No way."

Garland raised an eyebrow. "What is this about Matilda?"

Mystel was quick to supply an answer. "Brooklyn and I made a bet. If Brooklyn gets a girlfriend before me, I will become his slave for a month. Of course, he's not going to win which means he will be my slave for a month," he said. "Brooklyn's targeting Matilda and I'm going for Mariah," he added.

"Aren't the two girls' friends of Hilary, the girl you insulted earlier in the day?" Garland pointed out, looking at Brooklyn. "I highly doubt either of them will fall for you."

"I wouldn't say that Garland, you can't predict the future." Brooklyn stretched his arms out before him before settling down on the grass.

Garland didn't see the point in arguing the case further. Brooklyn had made up his mind and nothing would change it. Instead, he turned his attention to Mystel. "And you're up for this dare?" Mystel had not been involved in the scene with Emily and Hilary, but he was certain he had already gotten into some form of mischief already.

"I've got a class with Mariah and I'm now on the school newspaper team," Mystel said.

This piece of information caused Brooklyn to sit upright. "You? School newspaper team?" He forced a laugh.

Mystel nodded proudly. "Mariah's on the team as well which gives me a chance to get to know her better."

Brooklyn frowned. Mystel might have more opportunity to spend time with Mariah, but that didn't mean a connection would be developed. He sighed with relief. "Perhaps... perhaps not."

Garland rolled his eyes. How on earth had he ended up on a team with these two? Besides himself, Crusher was the only one modest and humble. Mystel up from the grass and scanned the field. Various groups of students sat in different sections, whilst others busied themselves on the sport field. His eyes were drawn to the tennis courts. "I might play a game of tennis."

"Tennis?" Brooklyn asked.

Mystel nodded. "I see Mariah... and Emily. There are a few other people there as well. I figure I might as well make some new friends," he said. "And a game of tennis seems like a fun way to spend the rest of lunch."

"Starting the bet early are we?" Brooklyn said.

Mystel nodded. "We don't have to start at the same time do we?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "An early head start for you might give you a chance... a very small chance to win Mariah." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I doubt it. We'll see you later then." Brooklyn waved off Mystel then turned his attention to Garland.

Bright blue eyes started intensely into Garland's steel grey eyes. "So Garland what do you think of the bet?"

Garland wasn't sure what to think about the entire situation. Making a deal was fine, but turning it into a competition about picking up a girl? It was beyond ridiculous! Unfortunately, he had no control over the situation.

Not that his teammates couldn't look after themselves, but Garland felt it was his responsibility to ensure the team stayed together and that meant looking out for each one. It might be a dare but the results could be damaging to themselves and reputation of the team. For once, Garland wished he could be a true team leader.

"Mystel doesn't stand a chance at all," Brooklyn said. "I mean Mariah's pretty hot and all, but she's too... headstrong for my liking. Besides, she's got a boyfriend."

All Garland could do was nod. He had never been lucky in the game of love as Brooklyn and Mystel always attracted the girls. If Garland had some interest in a girl, Brooklyn or Mystel would target her and move in for the kill leaving Garland with nothing but a few hateful words. He sighed. He wondered if the two would succeed. Although both enjoyed the company and attention of women, the two males interacted with females differently.

Loyalty was the biggest difference. Although both bored of girls easily, Brooklyn would never cheat on a girl whilst Mystel would hit on another girl as soon as the opportunity surfaced. Brooklyn dumped his girlfriends as soon as he tired of them before moving onto the next girl. Mystel on the other hand always had a group of girls on the go.

Brooklyn noticed Garland's lack of responsiveness and frowned. "You're against the idea aren't you?"

Garland sighed. "The whole idea is stupid. There is no purpose other than to prove who has better boyfriend material."

Brooklyn grinned. "There's more to it than that Garland – I get to see Mariah turn down every effort Mystel makes." The thought of a girl turning Mystel down was an amusing one and what better girl than Mariah?

"Have you thought about the consequences of this dare?"

"Not at all, I actually believe there are benefits. For one thing, we can show the other people in this school we are capable of maintaining healthy relationships," Brooklyn said. "I have nothing to worry about anyway; I'm not some pathetic womanizer Garland." He shrugged his shoulders.

Garland didn't agree with Brooklyn's line of reasoning, but he remained silent. "Why Matilda?"

"Most of the girls that are attracted to me are sluts anyway," Brooklyn said. "I want to prove to myself that I am capable of winning over quiet girls." He shrugged again. "And she's cute."

"What do you think Mystel's chances are?"

"He'll be lucky if she even looks at him," he said. "Mystel likes to think he's the perfect guy, but really... he's not. All the girls he gets complain about him to me," he added. "From what I have heard Mystel is insensitive and only concerned about getting laid."

Garland raised an eyebrow. "Are you not the same?"

For the first time Garland saw real hurt in Brooklyn's eyes. "People often mistake for me being a sex-craved male, but I'm not. I just have a tendency to get bored of girls easily after spending intimate time with them."

"And you're hoping to change that view?"

Brooklyn nodded. "I can't change the way I am, but I can change the people I wish to associate with," he said. Perhaps there was some hope for BEGA team after all. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "What about you Garland?"

"I'm not having any part in this competition of yours Brooklyn," Garland said.

Brooklyn rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant. Are there any girls you're interested in?"

Garland shook his head. "I've only been here for less than seven hours. Unlike you and Mystel, I don't force myself upon any girl that looks my way," he said.

Brooklyn shrugged. "Fair enough... what about Ming Ming? You know her well enough."

Ming Ming. The girl was a conceited snob obsessed with her self-image, but Garland believed she had a heart. Did he like her? Not in a romantic way. He was fully aware of her sexual exploits and tendencies to manipulate people and he didn't appreciate these aspects of her personality. However, he liked her as a friend and wished he could do something to help her. "She's like a sister to me." Ming Ming was a sister to all the members of BEGA League, a fact she was well aware of.

"I suppose that's true being the only girl in the team." Brooklyn sat up suddenly. "I've decided I'm going to the tennis courts as well."

"I never knew you liked tennis."

"Well... if Mariah is there I believe Matilda will be present as well."

"You're starting immediately as well?"

Brooklyn nodded. "I just want to watch Mystel interact with Mariah, that's all." Without sparing another word, Brooklyn made his way towards the tennis courts. Garland sat by himself and shook his head sadly. Why couldn't life be in his favour?

.

So, no Team Psykick stuff in this chapter (pushed it for the next one), but they will feature next. You may have noticed I'm focusing on multiple view points in each chapter and I hope it's not too confusing and damaging to the story. Mystel and Mariah are the main two, but every other action relates back to them in one way or another. TyxHilxKai stuff next as well. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	8. At a Crossroads

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

IviWay, Omegaxis1 and Rangerapprentice for reviewing the previous chapter! Your support is much appreciated.

**.**

**Chapter Eight: At a Crossroads**

_Monday, recess_

Tyson lay outstretched on the library couch trying to make sense of the past twenty four hours of his life. Just what had he been thinking anyway taking tutorial lessons from Hilary? She was just a silly nerd trying to be cool enough just so she could impress Kai. That's all it was; every girl wanted Kai, but they always ignored him. He might've been close friends with Kai, but most girls pretended he didn't exist. Hilary couldn't be taken seriously. She was using him to get close to Kai. "So much for being a good idea," he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.

He sighed, rolled onto his side and grabbed his textbook off the table. His grandpa was right; year twelve was tough. It would be miracle if he survived the year. None of the words in text books made any sense to him. "What is this gibberish?" he muttered, opening the first page of the play. He tried to decipher the Old English, but gave up after reading the first three lines. "This is so stupid."

Stupid was a word commonly used to describe Tyson and he didn't like it. But what could he do to change his reputation? Failing english class wouldn't improve his chances. He needed help and he knew just the person, but couldn't bring himself to accept her help not after the events of the past hour. He was being used! "Girls," he said, "they're not worth the trouble."

He had seen too many of his friends hurt by females. Max had laid his heart on the line for Mariam, but the girl turned down his love and humiliated him. Daichi tried to ask Matilda out on a date, but the petite girl rejected him in a second. It just wasn't worth the pain and effort. Being single was much more fun. Freedom and complete control. "She's using you to get to Kai," he said aloud.

Another problem surfaced. Should he tell Kai that Hilary had a crush on him and that was the only reason why she wanted to tutor him? Or would that idea backfire on him? Many girls had crushes on Kai, but the guy couldn't care less. He wasn't into the whole dating scene. But if he didn't tell Kai, then the guy would unknowingly lead Hilary on until the girl got hurt.

Frustrated, he slammed his Shakespeare play and threw it onto the floor. All these thoughts about Hilary were making his head hurt. Focusing on the gibberish was hard enough already, but with this added drama, concentrating on the text was not going to happen. Asking Daichi and Max for help wouldn't help; they would just end up playing video games or having food contests. And asking Kai for help wasn't an idea either – they would just get distracted. He missed the old beyblading days; days where he was at the top. Now he had been reduced to nothing more but a highschool kid struggling with academic work. "What should I do?" he asked gazing up at the ceiling watching the fan.

Tell Kai his suspicions about Hilary and possibly hurt the girl?

Or keep his suspicions from Kai about Hilary and still possibly hurt the girl?

Either option had consequences.

.

_Recess_

Mariah and Emily were engaged in a fun match of tennis whilst Matilda and Rei watched from the sidelines. Tennis wasn't a big sport at the school, however many students played the game during recess hours. The fun match soon turned sour when two males arrived on the courts. "Is that Brooklyn...and Mystel?" Matilda asked, turning her head in the direction of the tennis court entrance.

Mariah groaned inwardly. Distracted, she missed the serve from Emily. "If they think they can simply stroll onto this court and takeover..." She shook her racquet. She had enough of annoying gits for one day.

"Mariah, you missed the serve!" Emily shouted.

Mariah couldn't care less about the game. Her spirits had been dampened by the arrival of Brooklyn and Mystel. What did they want? "The court is full," she said as soon as the two males entered the court.

The corners of Brooklyn's mouth curved into a triumphant smirk. "Full?" He glanced around the court and noticed only eight students present. "I'm sure you could fit in a couple hundred students in this space," he commented. He walked over to the bench and grabbed one of the spare racquets. He strolled onto the playing court and took his place in between Mariah and Matilda.

"Brooklyn, we're playing a game of doubles. "Triplets don't exist in tennis," Mariah explained.

"Well how about you go to the other side then?" He flashed a toothy grin pleased with his comment.

To make matters worse for Mariah, Mystel supported Brooklyn's suggestion. "It's a good move Mariah – hey, you can be on my team."

Mariah scowled. "I would rather not play if that's my only option."

Shrugging, Brooklyn spoke, "Your choice." He walked into Mariah's space forcing her out of position. She glared and stormed over to join her boyfriend Rei on the sidelines. "You can be the towel girl Mariah, it's a pretty important job," he added with a wink.

"I've changed my mind – I will play... us girls verse you two guys," she said, glancing sharply at Mystel then at Brooklyn. "If we win, you don't get to use the court when we're here."

"That's a little harsh, but alright. What if we win?" Mystel asked, swinging his racquet at his side.

Mariah sighed. "Then you get to use the court instead of us."

Rei opened his mouth to voice his concern. "Mariah..."

Mariah held up her hand signalling him to stop speaking. "It's ok Rei; I know we can take the victory." Rei pressed his lips together, but refused to speak further.

"So... without further ado, I believe we should commence the match," Brookyln announced, running a hand through his ginger spiky hair. He joined Mystel on the opposite side of the court. "I'll pair up with Mystel for this round." He waved his racquet at Mystel and grinned.

Mystel rolled his eyes. Brooklyn was no athlete. It would be a miracle if they won the match. Just what did Brooklyn have in mind? "What exactly are you hoping to get out of this? You know we can't win," he reasoned.

Brooklyn smirked. "Trust me; I have a plan although it's going to hurt."

Mystel didn't like the sound of the plan, but didn't say ask any questions. If this was Brooklyn's attempt to flirt with Matilda he was failing epically. "Whatever, let's just start the match already." He took his place left of Brooklyn and let him serve the ball.

Brooklyn raised the racquet and sent the ball flying over the net towards Matilda. Matilda hit the ball back. Brooklyn let the ball sail pass. He flashed Matilda a cheeky grin. "Nice serve," he commented.

Rolling her eyes, Matilda forced a sigh. "Save your compliments for someone who cares," she retorted. "I'm here to play the game, not trade words with an egotistical prick." She sent the ball back towards Mystel.

Mystel raced after the ball and swung it back however the ball went out. "Damn," he cursed under his breath. Tennis was not his forte, but he had decided to play the game and therefore had to stick it out. He could only hope they would pull off a miracle victory.

.

_Recess_

Unable to sit by himself for any longer, Garland decided to follow his friends to the tennis courts. He planned to make them see some sense. As team captain he was partially responsible for keeping his teammates in line and allowing them to carry out their stupid bet would only bring more shame upon the BEGA name.

Could they not see some sense? Pursuing girls that obviously despised them made no sense at all. Perhaps it was the thrill of chasing a challenge? All of it seemed rather pathetic to him, but he couldn't stop them. The worst part about his teammates behaviour was that he was perceived as a git as well simply because of association. "Broooklyn, Mystel!" Garland said. His attempts at communication were ignored.

Brooklyn recognized the form of his team leader and waved out to him. "Hi Garland, come to watch us play some tennis?" he said, sending a serve from Mariah back over the net.

Garland shook his head. He came to tell them their whole betting game was stupid and would only create more harm than good. Friendships were on the line and this bet would create more distance between an already distant team. "We need to talk!"

"Not now Garland, we're busy playing a game!" Mystel replied, serving the ball over the net.

Despite being able to hit the ball over the net, the boys were losing. Brooklyn noticed they were losing and therefore decided to put his plan into action. Unfortunately for Mystel he was the plan. "Mystel!" Brooklyn shouted suddenly, causing Mystel to turn around and face him. Brooklyn served the ball aiming it at Mystel.

"What?" he asked. He was unable to speak further when the tennis ball came into contact with his nether regions. The impact was immediate. "Motherfuck!" Natural instinct caused him to drop to the ground and curl into a protective fetal position to prevent further harm. He ignored the giggles from the girls and concentrated on maintaining emotional stability. Now was not the time to further the humiliation he felt.

Brooklyn walked over to Mystel to check up on his friend and dropped to his knees beside him. "Sorry about that but it had to happen for the plan to work," he said. Mystel groaned in response and Brooklyn continued. "We couldn't win the game so I used you as a distraction so the girls couldn't win." He shrugged.

"...I hate you..." Mystel muttered.

"That's the spirit," Brooklyn said. "Look on the bright side, we can still use the courts and the girls laughed." He stood up from the ground and headed back towards the sidelines to return his racquet to its rightful place.

"I guess it's a draw then, Matilda said, taking Brooklyn's racquet.

Brooklyn nodded. "Certainly is... that means we both have access to the courts."

Mariah walked to stand besides Matilda and shook her head. "You planned this, didn't you?" If that was true there was a chance to destroy the BEGA League with ease. Without support from each other, they would crumble and hopefully leave. She needed a hatch a plan to chase them away and protect her friends and herself from harm. Attacking the shaky friendship between Mystel and Brooklyn seemed like a good place to start.

Flashing his pearly whites, Brooklyn shrugged, "That's not for you to know." Chuckling to himself, he left the courts. Garland shook his head sadly. BEGA's downward spiral had begun and he knew things were only going to get worse.

**.**

Ok, I lied. No Team Psykick stuff in this chapter, but their part is written. It was originally planned for this one, but it didn't fit in at all. They will be in the next chapter, I swear. Anyways, aside from that what are your thoughts? What should Tyson do – tell Kai about Hilary or keep it from Kai? Do you hate BEGA? As always, reviews much appreciated?


	9. Cracks in the Wall

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

IviWay, Omegaxis1 and Rangerapprentice for reviewing the previous chapter! Your support is much appreciated.

**.**

**Chapter Nine: Cracks in the Wall**

_Monday, mathematics class_

Lying on the ground in a crumpled heap didn't exactly brighten Mystel's mood and the laughter of his target only further dampened his spirits. And Brooklyn... he had thought of him as a friend yet he was betrayed and used as a tool to earn a few chuckles from the ladies. Perhaps Garland was right. This deal was a mistake. His mind screamed at him to cancel the game, but his pride urged him to fight on.

Still reeling from the agonizing pain, he remained lifeless on the tennis courts hoping to the gods above that no more humiliation would be inflicted upon him. Once was enough, but he had a strange uncomfortable feeling that there was more to come. He felt a shadow lean over him and he opened his eyes and forced himself up from the ground. "What, come back to support?" he muttered venomously, knowing clearly well support was the last thing on Brooklyn's mind.

"Brooklyn's gone," the voice replied.

Mystel muttered under his breath. Garland, he should've known. He was probably there to lecture him about the stupidity of the deal. "Spare your lecture, I don't wanna hear it."

"I'm not here to lecture you Mystel, I'm here because no one else is," he replied calmly. Steel-blue eyes bore into him watching his every move intently. It unnerved him being watched like a hawk, yet he wasn't in a position to argue. "I certainly won't be playing tennis anytime soon..." he muttered. The pain had now eased, yet the constant dull ache remained.

Garland sighed. "Not with Brooklyn around anyway," he said, throwing an icepack at Mystel's lap. "It'll help," he commented, noticing the blonds' confused expression.

Mystel glanced down at the icepack sharply, before gingerly placing it where it was most needed. "God this is embarrassing," he mumbled. "Not even a week in and tragedy has occurred."

Garland rolled his eyes at his comment. "It's not a tragedy, simply a case of an incident that could've been avoided," he said. "I've looked at your timetable and you've got mathematics with me next," he added.

"Just the news I wanted to hear..." he said sarcastically. Mathematics wasn't one of his strong areas. The thought of pulling a fake illness occurred to him. "Can you tell whatever teacher we have that I'm unwell and have gone to the health centre?" Mystel said, glancing up at Garland hopefully.

Garland was not impressed with his attempt to avoid another boring maths session with Mr. Tao. Mr. Tao was an eccentric man known for his bizarre taste in fashion and weird teachings, but his eccentricity did not make the subject more exciting. In fact, it made it far more confusing than usual thanks to Mr. Tao's maddened ramblings about random stuff. In the first lesson, Mr. Tao told them about the mating habits of centipedes. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"What, are you gonna hold my hand and walk me to class?" he replied bitterly. He wasn't usually sarcastic; that was Brooklyn's style, but he was in no mood to be his usual charismatic self. He picked himself up from the ground, still holding the icepack in place. "Great... this stupid thing is leaking." As if his day could not get any worse! He glanced down at the front of his pants and frowned. "Looks like I wet myself..." he mumbled.

"Nevermind, we have to get to class."

Mystel muttered under his breath and struggled to keep pace with Garland. "Slow down Garland!" He slowly limped towards Garland's side. Garland slowed down his pace allowing Mystel to catch up to him. After several minutes of slow walking, Garland and Mystel reached their destination.

Mr. Tao, their midget maths teacher, glanced up at them. "Garland, Mystel, why are you boys late?" he asked.

Mystel glanced up at his friend expectantly. Garland cleared his throat. "We paid a visit to the health centre Mr. Tao. I apologize for our lateness." Mr. Tao nodded and pointed to the spare seats in the front row. Mystel sighed. He hated sitting in the front of the class. Garland on the other hand loved the front row and immediately opened his textbook. Mystel was not as eager to start but the stern expression on Mr. Tao's face prompted him to begin. It was certainly going to be a long day, but the worst was yet to come.

.

_Spare_

Kane sat down with his back resting against the wood of the Jacaranda tree, his hands clasped together. His friends, Jim, Goki and Salima sat around him in a circle their eyes fixed on his face. "So, what's the meeting for?" Salima asked, laying her head on Goki's shoulder.

"I'm sure we've all seen those new kids," he started, snorting softly.

"Yeah, I saw that stunt that bitch bulled in the cafeteria hall," Salima said.

Kane nodded. "They're a threat to our status. Students won't fear us anymore and they'll feel we can be defeated. Instead, they'll fear the new people and we can't have that."

"Well, we'll have to make their lives an absolute hell. Make them wish they'd never come here in the first place," Jim said, running a hand through his blond hair. "They don't look so tough."

Salima rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? That guy with the long grey hair looks tough. If he wanted to, he could wipe the floor with you."

Goki pounded his right hand into his left. "He'll have to get through me first."

"No fist fighting, alright? I don't want any injuries. We have to go about this a different way," Kane said, glaring at Goki. Goki lowered his head. "We have to be smart about this. Any ideas?" He searched the faces of his friends looking for answers, but none spoke up.

Salima leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee. "I've got an idea, but it's going to be hard to do right."

Lifting a brow, Jim glanced at her. "What's the idea?"

She smirked. "I'll break Rei and Mariah up then blame it on Bega."

"How is that going to do us any favours?" Goki asked, scratching his head.

"Mariah's little group is our biggest threat, right? So, we side with Bega and together take out Mariah's crew. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, remember? We haven't confronted Bega yet; as far as they are concerned, we're not a problem. They're focusing their attention on Mariah's crew or have you not noticed?" Her eyes locked on Kane's face. "We befriend them – join forces, but we shut them down behind the scenes."

"And who are we going to target first?" Kane asked dryly.

Salima's smirk remained. "Mystel, he's on the newspaper team with Mariah and therefore will need to be around her a lot."

"I don't see how that's going to work," Jim said, rolling his eyes.

"He's got an eye for her, I'm sure. Most guys here do," Salima said, giving Kane a sharp glare before continuing, "It shouldn't be too hard to befriend the guy, he looks like he enjoys immediate female attention."

"And working on his hair too," Goki added.

Salima sighed. "I'll help him win over Mariah, but he needs to help me break Mariah and Rei up." A wicked grin crossed her face. "And I have the perfect plan."

Kane lifted a brow and looked at Salima expectantly. "You're going to get with Rei aren't you? Flirt with Rei while Mariah is distracted by Mystel, then set Rei up for a fall?" A smile broke out on his face. "I like the idea, but are you positive this will work in our favour? People might suspect we are the ones behind it."

"Currently, we are still at the top in the school hierarchy ladder and our fellow students will listen to us. We have to use that to our advantage. Spread rumours about the possibility of our highschool glamour couple breaking up. Rei and Mariah will hear these rumours and try to convince people they're not; it's going to add stress to their so-called perfect relationship and eventually it will crack. How much pressure can they handle before they explode?" She grinned again.

Jim frowned. "So, let me get this straight. You're going to befriend Mystel and convince him he can win over Mariah if he helps you break them up?" Salima nodded. "And then, Mystel will keep Mariah distracted long enough for you to work on Rei and catch him at a vulnerable moment?" he added. "It'll become the talk of the school and the highly respected couple's reputation will fall and no one will respect them anymore?"

"And everyone will blame Bega for destroying a lovely friendship because Mystel will be the main culprit."

"But wait, everyone knows we're enemies with Rei and Mariah? They won't believe Rei chose Salima willingly," Jim pointed out.

"Oh, he'll come to me willingly..." Salima said, smiling. "I'll make sure of that."

.

_Chemistry_

Matilda could not find the strength to look away from Brooklyn's menacing stare. His brilliant blue eyes which hinted at a mischievous nature stared intently at her face, analysing her every movement. It made her uncomfortable, but the thought of a highly attractive male checking her out gave her a sense of satisfaction. Out of her group of friends, she was always the overlooked one; it felt nice to be appreciated. He might be a jerk, but he was a good looking jerk.

"Matilda!" Mariah scolded. "Why are you looking at him?"

Matilda snapped out of her trance and jerked her head in Mariah's direction. The pink haired girl was looking at her with an expression of utmost disgust and anger. A sense of shame overcame Matilda. Brooklyn was just another sleazebag playing mind games with her. "Sorry Mariah, but he won't stop looking at me." Even with her back turned, she could see his face before her. A cheeky smirk and those brilliant eyes... she mentally slapped herself.

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me you are thinking about him."

"I'm not!" she snapped back defensively.

Mariah crossed her arms over chest. "I've seen that look before Matilda – the look of a girl lusting over an attractive guy. Need I remind you about the lingering gazes you gave Miguel?" At least Miguel was a decent guy.

"Miguel doesn't even like me Mariah," Matilda argued. "I have no chance with him." She wished she had a boyfriend. Seeing Mariah and Rei together had convinced her to be happy she needed someone to love. She wanted someone to confide in, someone to cuddle up to and someone who loved her for who she was. Unfortunately, love didn't seem to be coming her way.

"And you think you have a chance with Brooklyn?" Mariah asked. She knew what guys like Brooklyn were capable of. They were the type of guys who enjoyed making unconfident girls feel good about themselves one minute and leaving them heartbroken the next. "Don't even think about him – you hear me Matilda?"

Something snapped within her. Her pent up frustrations regarding her lonely situation erupted. "Why can't you just leave me be?" Matilda retorted, unaware the class of students were watching her with bemusement. "For once, why can't I just be happy?"

Brooklyn watched the scene unfold before him. The girl was far easier to crack than he had thought. It was amazing what the eyes could achieve. One simple lustful look and the girl melted. Bless his good genetics. "Mariah, stop disrupting the class by agitating Matilda with your callous words," Brooklyn remarked earning a glare from Mariah.

"You don't even know what we're discussing," she spat.

He grinned. "Oh... I'm pretty sure we all do. Look around Mariah; everyone is listening to your conversation." Brooklyn's words were true. "I wouldn't write of my chances of scoring, Mariah..." he winked. The frustration on her face pleased him to no end.

Mariah grimaced and turned to face the front of the class. Her blood boiled but she knew she could not make the situation any worse for herself. Would Matilda forgive her? Or had her mistake cost them their friendship? Surely it couldn't be over? She sighed and forced the image of Brooklyn's sneering face from her mind.

Brooklyn sat back in his chair and placed his arms around his head. He was one step closer to winning Matilda; this would be the easiest bet ever. The poor girl was embarrassed and would not look up from her exercise book, but Brooklyn knew her cheeks were flushing red. So, she was attracted to him? He smirked. What sane girl wasn't? "Mariah, could you please move your head? I can't see the board." This was a lie; Brooklyn could see the board easily, but he wanted to watch her squirm.

"There's a spare seat in the front row, Brooklyn. Why don't you pick yourself up and move to a better position?" Mariah replied, without turning to face Brooklyn.

Brooklyn shook his head whilst his classmates sniggered. "Sorry Mariah, but I can't do that. Don't you know the class rules? No leaving your chair when class has started." It was a bizarre rule which only applied to classes taught by the chemistry teacher, Dr. K. "So I'm afraid I'm going to have to remain here," he added as if it pained him.

Mariah raised her hand. "Dr K," she started, glancing sharply at the black haired woman seated at the front desk. "Can you please tell Brooklyn to stop disrupting the class? Some of us actually want to learn."

Dr. K stood up from her chair and focused her gaze on Brooklyn. "Brooklyn, please remain from making comments – save that for recess," she said. "Otherwise I will be forced to give you a demerit." Her threat hit Brooklyn hard. A demerit was the equivalent of falling face first in dog faeces. Completely shameful and repulsing.

Brooklyn muttered under his breath, but remained silent and focused completing the set class activities. Luckily for him, chemistry came naturally to him and he didn't have to spend time stressing over understanding the questions. Being a natural genius certainly had its benefits. He answered the first set of questions and examined his classmates. It brought a smirk of satisfaction to his face noticing the bewildered looks on some of their faces.

He laid his eyes on Matilda and smirked. The girl was struggling; he could read it in her tense body language. She was tapping the pencil nervously on her table desperately trying to think of some way to answer the questions. "Matilda... the first answer is A," he whispered.

Matilda jumped in her seat, startled by the sound of Brooklyn's voice. She turned around to face him, a look of confusion knotted in her features. "Why are you telling me?" she asked, ignoring the stern expression of Dr. K.

"You looked like you needed a hand..." Brooklyn's smirk faded from his face upon meeting the eyes of his teacher. He quickly turned back to his work and pretended to concentrate on the task. He heard Matilda thank him for his help and he grinned to himself upon hearing her words. It was only a matter of time before Matilda threw herself at him.

.

What will happen next? Will Salima succeed in tearing Rei and Mariah apart? Will Matilda succumb to Brooklyn? More to be revealed in upcoming chapters! In the next chapter, Tyson has the opportunity to tell Kai about Hilary, but will he do it? Also, Garland tries to talk to Ming Ming about her need to make other people feel like crap. As always, reviews much appreciated : D

On a side note, who annoys you more? Mystel or Brooklyn?


	10. Inner Turmoil

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Rangerapprentice and BlitzkriegGirl14 for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Ten: Inner Turmoil**

_Monday, after school_

Tyson exited the school gates and waited outside the pickup zone for his grandfather to pick him up. The day had been a long one and he couldn't wait to get home and sort out his thoughts. Being within the school grounds and standing next to Kai was making it difficult to think straight. He feared he would tell Kai the truth about Hilary before giving it some thought. "Tyson, what's the matter? You look like you are in deep thought," Kai said, glancing at his friend with a worried expression. "Don't think too hard, alright?"

Tyson didn't even crack a smile at Kai's attempt at a joke. "It's been a difficult day," he replied without looking at his friend. All he could think of was how Hilary had played him for a fool.

"Those new kids aren't going to bother us, Tyson. You don't need to worry about them..." Tyson's expression remained vacant. "Okay, what's going on? And don't try to evade the question." Could he tell Kai? He opened his mouth to speak and spotted Hilary in the corner of his eye. She sent him a glare and he looked away quickly, biting his bottom lip. A slow grin crossed Kai's face. "Were you checking out Hilary? I didn't think she was your type."

"No, no... I was just thinking about the tutorial session she gave me, that's all," Tyson replied struggling to think of an excuse. Well, it was partially true anyway. "It was stressful; she gave me a lot of thinking to do." That too was true. Too much thinking infact.

Kai placed a hand on Tyson's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "Is she really that boring?"

The urge to shout, 'she's only teaching me to get closer to you, Kai' was overwhelming, but he managed to silence that thought from exiting his mouth. "Hilary's a good teacher... she's just... dry, that's all." And manipulative, he thought.

Kai seemed pleased with that answer and leaned back against the school gate with his arms crossed over his chest. He dug a hand into the pocket of his pants and pulled out his Samsung Galaxy s3 phone along with a pair of earphones. "Well, it's my grandfather's sixty-fifth birthday and we're going on a cruise with some of his friends. I didn't like the thought of hanging out with old people, so I convinced him to invite you as well."

"A boat cruise?" Tyson asked, arching his eyebrows. "That must have cost a fortune knowing your family and ability to spend money."

Kai shrugged. "Hey, it's a special event. He originally wanted me to invite a girl along, but I told him that I didn't have any female friends."

That could easily be solved, Tyson thought. "How'd he react to that?"

"Well, he looked at me, frowned and said, 'I don't quite understand why the girls aren't calling you every day. Your father was quite the ladies man you know, but nevermind,' and he left it at that fortunately. I really did not want to get involved in a deep conversation about why I don't have a girlfriend yet," Kai explained, giving Tyson a sideways look. "And speaking of the devil, there he is ready to pick me up," he added, jerking his head at a white Mercedes Benz. "So, we'll pick you up on Saturday afternoon at five alright? Don't dress up like a slob." He pushed away from the gate and walked over to the car then waved goodbye to Tyson.

Tyson waved his goodbyes and returned to his thoughts. Standing across from him waiting at the bus stop sign, stood Hilary. She was carrying two textbooks in her arms and the rest was in her bag. Tyson snorted; probably going to have a long study session while thinking about Kai, he thought. "Long study session later on?" he called out.

She jerked her head in his direction causing brown bangs to fall around her face. "Unlike you, I want to do well."

Ouch, that was a bitter response, he thought. "Are you going to be studying Kai?" he chuckled at his remark, earning a glare from the girl.

"Tyson, I meant what I said; I do truly want to help you."

"To get closer to Kai."

"What makes you think that?"

Tyson shrugged. "Oh, maybe it was all the looks you sent him during recess today? And why else would you want to teach me after all these years? I'm not a complete fool despite what everyone else seems to think."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't believe me do you?"

"You're just like all the other girls around here – hoping desperately that Kai will look your way and ask you out on a date. But you know what? He never will," Tyson spat, feeling anger beginning to rise within. "Kai has never been interested in any girl and you think you will be the one to win him over?" He forced a bitter laugh. "Think again."

Hilary was speechless. She looked as if a major exam had been announced for tomorrow. Before Tyson could add further fuel to the fire, she spun around and headed out onto the streets. Tyson sat back, arms crossed and snorted. That would show her.

.

_After school_

"Just what do you think you are playing at, Brooklyn? I thought we were friends?" Mystel demanded, glaring at the ginger as they both entered the house owned by Boris. Spending a day at school with the other four students was bad enough, but living under the same roof was even worse.

Brooklyn smirked. "We are... we're competitive friends." He walked over to the couch and threw his belongings on it, then proceeded to hurl himself onto the furniture. "I mean look; everything turned out fine. You're still alive. It could've been worse you know?"

Mystel glared. "You're pathetic."

"Is that really the best insult you can come up with?" Brooklyn narrowed his eyes. "You can't accept the fact that I'm better than you. I get the girls and you get the whores; I get the grades and you are lucky enough to pass." He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back on the sofa. "Jealously isn't a good look."

"You're going to hurt Matilda."

"Am I? Maybe I'm serious about this."

"You've only just met the girl, how can you decide if you like her already?"

Shrugging, Brooklyn grabbed the remote and ushered Mystel to stand aside. "I know what I want, Mystel. I'm not so sure what you want though; an easy screw, or something a little more intimate?" He moved his eyes away from Mystel and focused on the television screen. A music video clip of scantily dressed women appeared, and Brooklyn nodded in approval. "These are your sort of females, Mystel. Cheap and easy. I, on the other hand, prefer girls with a little more class. This is why I know you will lose. Mariah's got a boyfriend, and she seems like the traditional type. I bet you she's still a virgin waiting on marriage."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Brooklyn sighed, and turned the television off. He glanced up at Mystel, his eyes hard. "Do you really think Mariah is going to dump Rei to be with you? If she knew all about your... past, I'm sure she'd even refuse to look at you. How many girls have you been with in the past few months? Three? Four perhaps? Or is it higher? I doubt she'd be impressed."

"I might just prove you wrong."

Brooklyn threw his head back and laughed. "Well, aren't you optimistic?" His laughter ceased, his expression turning serious once again. "You won't win."

Mystel decided this conversation was going nowhere, and turned away leaving Brooklyn alone. Doubt lingered in his mind. Brooklyn raised a few good points about Mariah. She was going to be incredibly hard to break. Getting rid of Rei was the first step, but how was he going to achieve that? He hadn't exactly left a great impression on her when they first met. He thought about cracking onto her friends, but that would only increase her disproval of him. He entered his room and jumped onto his bed, gazing up at the ceiling. It was a tough battle ahead, but he was not going to let Brooklyn win... no matter what the cost.

.

_After school_

As she walked on the usual path home, she couldn't push thoughts of Brooklyn out of her head. He was certainly charming; attractive and intelligent; all attributes her mother approved of. But could a guy like him honestly like her? She had seen the debacle that occurred during recess today and it wasn't pretty. "I don't like him at all," she whispered, "he's just a good looking guy, that's all." Surely, there was no harm in checking out attractive guys? It wasn't as if she was going to ask him out on a date anytime too soon.

Besides, there were other guys out there better than Brooklyn. There was Miguel; her crush of two years. They had worked on an assignment together two years ago and Matilda found the guy irresistible. He spoke softly, and his words were polite. He always went out of his way to help other students and spent most of his time raising funds for numerous charities. He had a fine face; many girls considered him 'hot' but Miguel never seemed too interested in dating.

There was once a time she imagined herself with Miguel in a relationship much like the one Mariah and Rei were in. But now she thought differently. Thinking of Miguel didn't stir up any emotions inside her; he was safe, she was safe. Together they would be the ultimate bore. She wanted a guy that was dangerous, not afraid to speak his mind and knew what he wanted. Guys like... Brooklyn. Again, an image of Brooklyn's face flashed in her mind.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her face began to grow hot. What if... she shook her head, "No, that's not ever going to happen. You are too good for him." He was smart. Gorgeous... make that extra gorgeous. She sighed with frustration and ran a hand through her hair. "Ugh... get a grip, Matilda!" He was the guy her mother would love; Matilda's previous boyfriends didn't win her mother's approval.

First there was Aaron. He was a sweet boy, very quiet and gentle natured, but he never spoke his mind. He tended to agree with everything Matilda said because he didn't want to make her angry. She was his first girlfriend and he was her first boyfriend. It was a short relationship. Matilda called it quits after three months unable to put up with his neediness for any longer. Now she never spoke to him.

Claude was her second boyfriend and like Aaron, he was a sweet and gentle-natured. But he was boring and she wanted a little excitement in her life. Conversations between them were often awkward and introducing him to her mother was even worse. After three months, she dumped Claude claiming she was the one at fault. She had never said another word to him since they split and that was over a year ago.

Her third and final boyfriend was none other than Oliver, the son of a rich millionaire chef. He was well-mannered, generous and a romantic. Every month they would celebrate their monthly anniversary and he would shower her with praise and presents. Each date was extravagant; Oliver always spent a lot of money on her which he stated 'was never a problem'. But he was often arrogant without even knowing it. When it was her turn to do something special, she always felt inferior. While he took her out to expensive restaurants and theatres, she settled for picnics at the park with homemade food. For awhile it felt good to be worshipped, but it got old quick. Being in that relationship drained her of happiness.

She wanted excitement. She didn't want to be praised. She didn't want flashy presents. She wanted a little risk and danger in her life. Nice guys were fine, but they were dull. "Brooklyn," she sighed, feeling her cheeks warm up again. Caught up in her thoughts, she was oblivious to footsteps coming up behind her.

"Matilda!" A strong hand grasped her shoulder and she squealed, then spun around.

"Miguel?" she replied, startled.

He grinned. "I called for you several times. You must have been deep in thought or something." He removed his hand off her shoulder. "Is something wrong?" he asked, smile fading.

Matilda realized her expression must be blank giving him the impression was upset. She forced a smile. "Oh, nothing really. Just thinking."

The smile returned on his face. "Well, I hope I didn't interrupt your train of thought, but I was wondering if you were free on the weekend? It's been awhile since we've actually hung out together and I miss that. I know this seems strange talking to you after so long, but I do miss your company."

"It's hard to believe two years have passed since we worked together," Matilda replied.

He nodded. "Yeah, and I feel like a fool for wasting all that time." He stared into her eyes and Matilda felt a shudder run down her spine. Being in his presence made her uncomfortable and not in a good way. She didn't have a crush on him anymore. Now it was just awkward. "So, are you free?"

She considered her response. If she accepted Miguel's offer would old feelings for him surface? Would she once again have that mad schoolgirl crush? Would he make her feel weak at the knees again? Or would it be awkward and uncomfortable considering she didn't like him in that way anymore? Love couldn't be forced. And... what if Brooklyn saw her with Miguel? Would she blow her chance to have a future with him later? She tilted her head up. "I'm sorry, Miguel, but I can't do this weekend. I have so many assignments and I want to start them," she said, hoping Miguel couldn't see through her lie.

"Oh, alright," he replied flatly. "Some other time then?"

It almost broke her heart seeing his deadpanned expression, and she almost considered changing her response just to see him smile. "I'll let you know when I'm free, alright?"

He nodded. "Okay... I guess I'll be seeing you later then." He turned his back and walked in the opposite direction, leaving Matilda feeling like crap. Had she made the right decision?

**.**

I hope you like this version of Kai; I wanted to portray him as a good friend, rather than a cold sort of character he is usually seen as. And I love writing a snarky Brooklyn; he's a riot to write about. Do you think Matilda has made a mistake? I also hope you can find this story relatable as that is my primary goal. As always, reviews much appreciated!


	11. Trouble on the Horizon

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Candylovinchild, Rangerapprentice, BlitzkriegGirl14 and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter, I hope you guys are enjoying the story thus far. Also, thanks to the people who have added this story to their favourites and alerts list! Enjoy the chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Eleven: Trouble on the Horizon**

_Tuesday, before class_

It was a new day and that meant another day spent at school. For a majority of students, another day of school was similar to entering a personal hell, but for students like Mariah, they looked forward to it. "Lee, you look depressed, is something wrong?" Mariah asked, glancing at her brother.

He shrugged. "We were given our first biology assignment yesterday... and we have to work in pairs. I'm being forced to work with that idiot, Enrique. How on earth did he even make it pass year eleven? He's almost as dumb as Tyson."

"Oh, Enrique's not that stupid. Sure, he's a little slow at times, but I think it's because he has no interest."

"The only thing that interests him is chasing after people wearing skirts," Lee replied. "I've seen him giving you that look from time to time as well, but he knows he can't lay a hand on you. His friends are as equally retarded as him."

Mariah raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that assignment must have really dampened your spirits to talk so lowly of other students."

"It means I have to work extra hard to cover up for Enrique's sloppiness." He rubbed his temples and sighed. "And not only that, but Kane and his friends still intend to cause us trouble. Can you imagine if they ally themselves with the new kids?"

The thought of Ming Ming and Salima become best friends made her sick to the stomach. Both girls were troublesome enough, but together? She shuddered. She didn't want to think about that. And what if Brooklyn and Mystel became close friends with Kane? Students would get bullied on an hourly basis instead. But would they even become friends? She couldn't imagine someone like Brooklyn taking orders from Kane. "I can't see it happening they're too different to truly get along."

"Hmm, I suppose you are right."

They continued to make their way towards the school, each both lost in their own thoughts. Mariah's thoughts focused on Matilda and Mystel. Matilda's sudden abrupt outburst took her by surprise; was the girl considering starting something with Brooklyn? She knew that path would lead to one of self-destruction. Brooklyn would only hurt her, not make her happy. And Mystel... try as she might, she could not get him out of her thoughts. That smirk... those eyes... She slapped herself mentally. He was a jerk, dammit! Damn, female hormones.

"Mariah? Are you alright? You look like you've spaced out," Lee said, waving his hands in her face.

She blinked. "Oh... I was just thinking about yesterday's dramas that's all. Matilda's mad at me, Mystel has joined the school newspaper team and Hilary being insulted by Ming Ming. A lot happened yesterday and I'm still trying to make sense of it all."

"Don't stress too much sis, those new students aren't worth our time."

"I think Matilda might be falling for Brooklyn's charm."

"Just give her some space, she's a smart girl; she'll work out Brooklyn is just a tool on an ego-trip." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "And don't let those new guys stress you out. They're jerks. They thrive on making people like us feel bad." She nodded. Lee was right. "If it really bothers you that much though, you should talk to Rei."

Rei, of course. He would know what to do; he was always good at listening. "Yeah, I will do that."

"He's a good guy, I couldn't think of anyone else that deserves you," Lee said, smiling proudly at his sister. "I foresee a long and happy future for you both."

Mariah rolled her eyes and gave him a teasing grin, "Oh, you're just saying that."

"I'm serious, Mariah. Rei is perfect for you."

He was right about that. Rei was a good guy. It was almost as if he could do no wrong. He was there to comfort her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. He was there when she needed someone to listen. He never pressured her into doing anything she didn't feel comfortable doing and he respected her. If she ever lost him, she'd never forgive herself. Lost in her own thoughts, Mariah didn't realize they had already reached the school entrance gates. "Well, here we are again," she said. What eventful things would happen today?

.

_Geography_

Mystel sat back in the far right hand corner of the room alone. There was an empty desk next to him and no one seemed keen to sit there. He suspected students were afraid to sit there in case he was like Brooklyn or a male version of Ming Ming. He saw Alyssa sitting two rows in front of him. She turned around, caught his eye and giggled then turned back to the front. Smirking, he sat back in his chair appreciating just how many good looking girls there were in his English class. "Is there anyone sitting here?" A female voice asked, snapping him out of his trance like state.

He looked up and grinned. She was a fine looking girl, with chocolate brown eyes and a beautiful shade of red hair that fell down her back. "Nope."

She sat down. "You're one of the new guys, right? Mystel?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Salima, it's a pleasure to meet you."

That response caught him by surprise. At least she didn't attempt to bite his head off like Mariah did. "I haven't seen you around."

She looked at him. "We tend to keep to ourselves separated from this lot. Don't want to mix with losers and whatnot," she replied, twirling a lock of hair around a finger. "You're a good looking guy, I'm surprised girls aren't swarming around you."

He watched her simple action for a couple of seconds, then spoke again, "I... uh, well, I guess people don't like us very much. I blame Ming Ming for that," he replied quickly. He wasn't used to females coming forth so strongly.

"So, are there any girls here that have caught your eye?"

Her line of comments didn't make much sense to Mystel; it wasn't like she was trying to hit on him or anything, unless she had a strange way of doing it. She wasn't insulting him either. Perhaps she was just curious and looking for a way to start a conversation? At least she start a conversation about the weather. "Well... Mariah's easy on the eyes."

Salima rolled he eyes, "That's what all the guys say. Not sure what is so attractive about her... I suppose she _is_well endowed though which seems to be important for many guys..."

Mystel wasn't sure how to respond. Salima was certainly forward. Despite only just meeting, Mystel found it easy to talk to her. "Unfortunately, she's with this guy called Rei." He had yet to meet the guy, but he caught a glimpse of him at the cafeteria hall.

"I could help you if you intend to go down that path," Salima replied.

"Why would you want to help me?"

"We can benefit each other... you're not really in a position to make more enemies, so I think you should consider my offer. We could form an alliance. I help you get what you want, and you help me," she said, drumming her fingers on the desk.

"What do you want?"

"Rei."

"You want my help to separate Rei and Mariah?"

She nodded, a smile beginning to tug at the corners of her mouth. "Glad to know there are some good looking guys with brains. Yes and I already have a plan. We'll need to work together to set it into motion though. But you need to keep quiet about this; we can't have anyone else knowing."

He nodded. "You have yourself an ally, then." Now he had a chance to beat Brooklyn. How he longed to wipe that smug smirk off Brooklyn's face. He didn't care for the people that would ultimately get hurt; winning was the only thing that mattered here.

She continued to smile. "Glad to hear it, I'll start working on it right away."

.

_Art_

Rei groaned. Out of all the people he could get partnered with it had to be Salima. The girl had a crush on him two years ago, but never acted knowing he was with Mariah. She never had a boyfriend – at least, Rei never spotted her with a guy. He assumed she was sitting on the sidelines waiting for something to go wrong between Mariah and himself so she could jump at the chance to scoop him up. "Hello," she said, taking the empty seat next to him. A strong scent of perfume filled his nostrils and he fought the urge to sneeze.

"I guess you and I will be working on this art sculpture project together the," he replied flatly, careful not to gaze into her eyes.

She touched his arm briefly. "You don't have to be afraid, Rei. I won't bite... yet," she said, winking then grinning at Rei's repulsed expression.

"I have a girlfriend, Salima."

"And?"

He frowned. "And what? Do you think I'm going to dump her for you?"

She shook her head, long strands of red hair falling over her shoulders. "No. You don't need to dump someone to be with someone else."

"I would never cheat."

She rolled her eyes, "You keep telling yourself that Rei, but one day you're going to give into temptation. Mariah's a prude and you are too and you'll remain a prude until Mariah decides she wants to marry you. Think of all the lost opportunities."

"I'm not like you or your friends, Salima. I have morals and I plan to abide by them."

"Oh, you're such a bore, Rei," she said, batting her eyelashes at him. "What else is she going to make you wait for?

Rei felt anger rising up within. Normally, he considered himself a patient guy, but Salima was beginning to make him mad. "You talk of her like you know her personally."

"You're so blind. Mariah has you wrapped under her finger and you don't even realize it." Salima shook her head sadly. "She has control over you. It's really quite pathetic."

This time, Rei chose to look at her directly in the eyes. "She doesn't control me."

"I see the way she clings onto you as you both parade around the school like you're the royal family. Frankly, it's disgusting. I don't know why people think you two are so amazing... I've heard some couples want to base their relationships on yours... crazy, right?" Rei remained quiet and Salima took the chance to continue, "Don't you feel left out when your other male friends talk about their experiences with girls?"

"My friends aren't like that."

"So you are all prudes, then?" she said, glancing down at her nails. "What a waste. A guy like you needs someone who is fun and exciting, not a bore." She looked back up again, fixing her intense gaze on his face. "But enough of that; let us speak of the assignment. We're going to have to do this together after school and on weekends."

Having to spend time with Salima during school was bad enough, but on weekends as well? He knew Mariah wasn't going to like this; she harboured ill feelings towards Salima which was understandable. But if he wanted to pass this class, he would need to spend time with Salima no matter how painful it was. "I know, I don't like it, but you speak the truth."

She beamed him a wide smile. "Great, good to know we understand each other. We'll have a lot of fun." She stopped talking and focused her gaze on the white board as Trevor talked about the assignment. Salima's words echoed in the back of Rei's mind, planting themselves firmly inside. Was Salima right? Was Mariah controlling him? Was he missing out? No, he scolded himself. He loved Mariah... right?

.

So, trouble is now beginning to brew. Salima's joined forces with Mystel and he's too determined to beat Brooklyn he hasn't really thought about the implications of helping Salima. Salima's also planted a seed of doubt within Rei's mind; will doubt drive him down the wrong path?

This chapter was a little shorter than usual, but the next chapter is going to be a big one full of drama – what do you think will happen? As always, reviews much appreciated!


	12. Change Begins

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Louisreynolds, BlitzkriegGirl14, Omegaxis1, Rangerapprentice and SkyDragonKing for reviewing the previous chapter! Your support is very much appreciated : )

**.**

**Chapter Twelve: Change Begins**

_Wednesday, At Kai's place before school_

Kai sat down at the table, stabbing his fork through his egg as he listened to his grandfather complain about his work related issues. He nodded just to show Voltaire he was listening, but really all he wanted to do was sit in his room and play video games. "But enough about me, let's talk about you. How was your day at school yesterday?" Voltaire asked, looking at Kai as he cut into his piece of steak.

"School was alright, nothing eventful happened." He picked up some potato and placed it in his mouth. He swallowed it before continuing to talk, "Not as eventful as your day at work anyway." It was a habit of Voltaire to talk about the day before as he didn't come home from work until late in the afternoon. He was often far too tired to discuss the events of the days.

Voltaire chuckled. "Well, you'll experience the joys of the workplace when you graduate from university in a couple of years." He ate some bacon, then placed his cutlery back down on the table. "I've heard rumours a school dance is happening. Is this true?"

Kai shrugged. "I haven't heard of anything, but then again, I don't really pay much attention to school social events. Where did you hear this information from?"

"From Hiro. I had a chat to the young man just the other day. I guess the students aren't aware of this fact yet."

Kai shook his head. "I guess not." If the students were aware of it, posters would be everywhere.

"Do you have a date for the dance?"

"I'm not going to go to a school dance, pa. You know I don't view school social events with great enthusiasm." He glanced down at his plate again, examining his food.

"What if I want you to go?"

Kai glanced back up. "Why would you want me to go? You've never shown any interest in these events before."

"Well, I just think... it's your final year of highschool and I want you to enjoy it. You'll never experience highschool life again once you've finished, so I think you should do it. You'll have something to look back on later in life." Voltaire turned his attention back to his food, cutting himself another piece of bacon before continuing, "You are not scared of girls are you, Kai?"

Kai's eyes widened, as he choked on a piece of bacon. He grabbed his glass of water and took a mouthful then cleared his throat. "What? I'm not scared of females!" he replied, laying the glass back down.

"It just strikes me as strange as to why you don't have a girlfriend yet. Many teenage males your age have girlfriends... why don't you? I'm not stopping you from dating, Kai."

He couldn't believe he was having this conversation with his grandfather! "Are we seriously having this conversation?"

Voltaire frowned. "If you are... well, interested in other males..."

"I'm not gay, pa. I'm just not interested in all this dating stuff until I get myself a stable career. Besides, there aren't any girls that appeal to me anyway." He stabbed his steak again. "Can we please just move on from this conversation?" Did Tyson ever have awkward conversations with his grandpa? He had to ask him that next time.

"I'll drop this conversation if you agree to take a date to the school dance. I'll pay for it even."

"Are you trying to make a deal? You must be desperate."

Voltaire shrugged. "Come on, Kai. I just want you to be happy. Can't you do that for me?"

Kai frowned. Such talk wasn't normal for Voltaire; he didn't support school based events either so why the sudden change in heart? "Is everything alright with you? This sudden interest in school events worries me."

For a split second, Kai thought he saw a flicker of sadness and pain in his grandfather's eyes, but when he blinked it was no longer there. "I just want you to be happy, that's all." The conversation ended there and Voltaire returned his attention back to eating. Kai examined his grandfather for a little longer, then continued to eat. As he ate, he couldn't help but think there was something wrong with his grandfather. What secret was he keeping?

**.**

_On the school bus on the way to school_

"Max, Daichi... can I ask you guys a question?" Tyson asked from his position in the centre of the back seat of the bus.

Max looked at him, a frown on his face. "It better not be a school related question, you know I can't do your homework for you."

"Can you do mine then?" Daichi asked, shoving a piece of paper in Max's face. "I can't understand any of this crap. I mean, who cares about Romeo and Juliet anyway?" he added, twisting his nose in disgust.

"Well, I actually like the tale. It's quite dramatic," Max replied, earning worried looks from his friends. "Oh come on, give me a break. I'm not turning into a romantic if that's what you two are worried about." Daichi snickered, then grabbed his paper back from Max. Max turned to Tyson. "So, what's the problem?"

Tyson drew in a deep breath and debated whether or not he should tell his friends about Hilary. He knew they would keep it a secret, but was it right to tell them before telling his best friend, Kai? "I was thinking of writing a story for my English teacher, show her that I'm not that stupid," Tyson started, "I want to show her that I'm going to take this class seriously and what better way to do that than show her my writing skills." It was a lame lie, but he hoped his friends would believe it.

"You could save yourself a lot of effort if you just paid attention and did your homework, Tyson, but if you want to do this... go for it. What's your story idea?" Max asked.

Tyson almost sighed with relief. "Well, it was going to be about two guys and a girl. Let's just say these two guys are best friends, and this girl is crushing on one of them. This girl wants to get close to her crush's friend so she can learn more about her crush. Then let's say the friend finds out what this girl wants. Does he tell his best friend this girl is in love with him? Or does he withhold the truth and let his friend find out the truth?"

"Pfft, love who needs it?" Daichi snorted.

"I would think it would be best to let his friend know so he can act accordingly. I wouldn't want to be kept in the dark about a possible romantic interest," Max replied, rubbing his chin. "I want to know so I can decide if I like the girl or not. If I do, then we can start a relationship. If I don't, I can let her know and save her pain later on. It'd be horrible leading someone on without even knowing it, but it's even worse if the friend knows and doesn't do anything about it. That's cruel."

Putting it that way made Tyson feel somewhat bad. He knew Hilary liked Kai and was using him to get closer; she couldn't deny that fact, her body language showed it. But he wanted her to suffer for using him like that... but would that hurt Kai as well? "I never thought of it like that." To tell the truth or not... it was a big risk.

"Are you alright, Tyson? You look like you are in deep thought."

"Don't hurt yourself, Tyson. We have maths first up," Daichi pointed out.

Tyson nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. You've just given me something to think about, that's all. I think I'll make the friend tell the truth."

Max smiled. "That's a good idea. Honesty is the best policy, after all."

.

_Recess_

The chat with Salima yesterday made Rei think twice about his relationship with Mariah. All morning she had spent time complaining about the dramas of yesterday and the situation with Matilda. Not that he hated it or anything; he didn't mind listening, but it was becoming difficult to offer support when it was obvious Mariah wasn't listening. He found himself unable to get a decent line in other than the usual 'yeah' and 'I agree' comments. But Mariah was his girlfriend; he was going to support her. "You always know the right things to say, Rei," Mariah said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad to have you."

Rei smiled, "I'm always here for you, Mariah. You know that."

The smile on her face suddenly vanished. "Oh no, I just remembered I have another report meeting today. That means I have to deal with another session of Mystel." She rolled her eyes.

"Just pay him little attention."

"And what good is that going to do? I pay him no attention, then he creates a scene. I give him attention, and he thinks I'm flirting with him! I can't win!"

"Well, just treat him like you'd treat everyone else."

Mariah rolled her eyes again, "I can barely bare to be in the same room as him, let alone start a civil conversation. Besides, he doesn't strike me as the type to have a civil conversation anyway." She sighed again. "Sorry, Rei. It's just so frustrating. You have no idea what it's like to be forced to work with him. I'd complain about him to Stanley but he's leaving and won't be able to do anything about it. I'll have to see who the new replacement is."

Rei nodded, "I'm sure everything will work out fine." Mariah's frustrations reminded him of Salima. "Oh, I need to ask you something. I have to work with Salima for an assignment and I need to spend time with her outside schools hours."

Mariah's eyes darkened. "You want to spend time with Salima outside school?"

"It's for an assignment... it's basically a requirement. There is no way in hell we are going to finish it within the set time frame. I know you don't like her – that's why I'm asking you for permission." Saying it aloud sounded even lamer than in his head. How many boyfriends had to ask their girlfriends if they could have permission to do something? Was Salima right after all? He cursed her name in his head. If they hadn't been assigned partners, he would not be having these doubts. I guess it's true what they say... you begin to notice flaws in a person you like when someone else brings it up, he thought.

"Fine, but only because it's necessary."

"Thanks, Mariah. I need to go now, I'll see you later. Good luck with meeting." For the first time since beginning his relationship with Mariah, he felt glad to get away from her.

.

_Newspaper meeting two_

Watching Mystel flirt with Alyssa right before her eyes made her boil with anger. They needed to work on the monthly report, not spend time exchanging looks and vile gossip. "As much fun as you are both having right now, can we please work on the report?" Mariah asked. "We need to allocate roles. Someone needs to be in charge of photography for starters."

Her fellow reporters looked at her blankly. "Allocate roles? Wow, you sure are taking this thing seriously," said Alyssa, crossing a leg over her other. "If there's a chance to interview people, I will do that. I have the best people skills after all."

Mariah fought the urge to groan. With this group it would be a miracle if they ever got anything done. "Alright, you can do that." She turned her gaze to Mystel. "Do you want to do photography?" Could he even take a photo of something else other than his own face? She wondered.

He gave her a wide grin. "Sure thing."

That was two roles down. She looked to the last two members, a pair of twins, King and Queen. "And what about you two? What would you like to do?"

"We'll write up reports," Queen responded.

"Ok, that's good. Having roles makes this process so much easier." She glanced down at the paper in her hand, eyes moving down the list of things to do. The first of many things was done. Now she could move onto the next point. "As you are all aware of by now, Stanley is retiring. It's his last week and I want to make it a good one for him so he leaves on a good note. I was thinking we should throw him a party in the school and perhaps get everyone to sign a card."

Alyssa nodded, "Not a bad idea. I don't like the guy and all, but I wouldn't want him to think lowly of us."

"I barely know the guy, but if you want to make him happy, I'm all for it," Mystel commented.

"Speaking of Stanley, does anyone know who his replacement is? I sure hope its Judy," Alyssa said, leaning forward, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"I believe I can answer that for you."

"Mr. Dickenson!" Mariah said, turning her attention towards the entrance. "I wasn't aware of your presence," she added.

He chuckled. "I came here quietly; you were having such a good conversation I did not want to interrupt." He walked into the room and stood behind Mariah. "The announcement will be made official at the end of the week during assembly, but I will tell you my replacement now. Please don't tell anyone else."

"We promise to keep it quiet," Mariah said.

"After a long interview process, I have made my decision. My replacement will be Boris Balkov."

Mystel straightened in his chair. "Boris?"

"You know him?" Mariah asked.

"Yeah, he's like our guardian." Mariah wished the floor would open up and suck her in. It couldn't be true... right? Boris to replace Stanley? That would make it virtually impossible to get rid of Mystel and his lousy friends. "Sorry, Mariah. Seems like I'll be hanging around for a little longer," he said, smirking at the downcast expression on her face.

"I'm sure he'll be a fine replacement," Mariah said, trying to be polite. Could her year get any worse?

Mystel snickered. "Yeah, he'll be great."

Stanley smiled. "Well, I need to prepare for the transition process. I'll see you later." With that said, he left the room leaving Mariah to silently fume.

.

From the next chapter on, every chapter will focus on a new day at school. This just makes the story progress faster instead of me spending five chapters on one day at school. I'll focus on the main events only. As for the chapter itself... what did you think? What is wrong with Voltaire? Will Tyson tell Kai? How will things change now with Boris in charge? As always, reviews much appreciated! The next chapter will be a big one!

Like highschool based stories? Here are a few others to check out (if you know of any others let me know):

Welcome to Bey City Academy, by SkyDragonKing

No Sacrifice, No Victory, by DarkenedStorm

Bleed Like Me, by AquilaTempestas

Deception, by AquilaTempestas

Alluring Boys, Gorgeous Times, by Kissing Serendipity

Crashing Down, by xXxAnimeGril92xXx

Glass Slipper, by Nirianne

Like, Oh My God, by annoying talking animal

The Fine Line, by iXheartXdemy-chan

The Taming of the Wolf, by MissCloud


	13. The Road to Hell

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Omegaxis1, SkyDragonKing, Rangerapprentice and BlitzkriegGirl14 for reviewing the previous chapter!

I won't update this fast again, but I really wanted to get this chapter out quick. Enjoy it!

**.**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Road to Hell**

_Thursday, English class_

With the conversation about dating still fresh in Kai's mind, the young Hiwatari was finding it quite difficult to concentrate. The teacher, Miss Kincaid, was blabbering on about the assessment requirements but Kai didn't care. His concern was his grandfather. They didn't spend much time together thanks to Voltaire's position as CEO, but Kai knew there was something wrong with him. The change in personality was unexpected. He couldn't shake it off. Why would Voltaire show a sudden interest in Kai getting a date? It never bothered him before.

"Hey, Kai... I've been meaning to tell you something," Tyson started, speaking in a hushed whisper.

Hearing Tyson's voice snapped Kai out of his trance. "Oh... yeah? Sorry, I wasn't listening."

Tyson frowned. "Something wrong? Shakespeare has you stumped too, huh?" He glanced down at the text before him, then scratched his head. "I'm so confused... why couldn't they write like normal people?"

Kai was far too distracted to joke about it, so he gave his friend a blunt response. "This is Old English, Tyson."

"There is something bothering you, isn't there? I know that look. Let me know, perhaps I can help."

Could he? Could he find it within himself to tell Tyson about his concerns for his grandfather or was he simply being paranoid about the whole situation and over thinking? The latter was more likely. Besides, Tyson wasn't the sort of person he wanted a deep and meaningful with about something so serious. "It's... nothing. Voltaire gave me this talk yesterday."

A grin crossed Tyson's face and he wagged his eyebrows in a teasing manner, "Oh, did he give you 'that talk'. I know how uncomfortable that can be, gramps gave me the same 'talk'. Boy, was it awkward."

Now it was Kai's turn to frown. "Huh?"

"You know the puberty talk. The ones that make us feel awkward when we talk to our folks about it, but the time of chatter we have with friends and laugh about it." Kai continued to frown and Tyson forced a dry laugh. "Uh... I guess you didn't have the same talk, then? Well that's embarrassing." Tyson averted his gaze and glanced down at the paper, seeming as if he was concentrating hard on understanding the text.

Kai couldn't help but laugh at Tyson's comment. "Tyson, we're in twelfth grade. I'm pretty sure we've passed the stage of puberty talks with our folks."

Tyson groaned. "I haven't. Gramps seems to get a thrill out of bringing it up every time a scantily dressed girl appears on the television screen." He buried his face into his hands hiding his embarrassment. "You should've seen the lecture he gave me last week... and Hiro's no better."

Kai snickered again. Talking with Tyson lightened his mood and made him temporarily forget his problems. "I remember Voltaire giving me that talk a few years ago, it was really awkward."

"Your grandfather would probably be all cool and professional about it though, my grandpa likes to get up and make a song out of it," Tyson replied, running a hand through his hair as his ears began to turn red. "Did you know he used to be in a hip-hop group called the Smiley Dicks?"

"The Smiley Dicks? What kind of a name is that?" Kai replied, eyebrows raised.

"See? I have it really bad."

"Tyson, Kai, can you please save your personal conversations for the playground? This is not the time and place for such a discussion," Miss Kincaid said, peering over the top of her novel.

Kai had never seen Tyson's ears turn such a shade of red before. It was highly amusing. He opened his mouth to make a snide comment, but Tyson didn't look to be in a talking mood anymore. His face was burning red, and Kai wondered if his hand would melt off if he touched Tyson. Chuckling to himself, Kai turned his attention back to the text, all problems forgotten.

.

_Class session outside, art project_

Salima was waiting for him, sitting underneath the Jacaranda tree, her long auburn hair falling around her shoulders. Her eyes seemed to brighten when he entered her line of vision and a part of him felt joy as well. "I asked Mariah, she's given me permission to hang out with you after school hours to work on this project," Rei said, sitting down next to her.

Smiling, Salima rested a hand on Rei's arm. Rei flinched, then drew it back quickly earning a light hearted chuckle from the girl. "Don't be afraid, Rei... I won't bite." She pulled out a notebook and pen and laid it out on the grass. "We need to figure out what our design is going to be first. The assessment says we need to create a container, goblet or freestanding sculptural form that celebrates an event or presents a concept. We've been given a list of possible themes, play, best friends, death and dying..."

"Best friends could possibly work," Rei said, "or perhaps even play? What else do we have to do?"

"In addition to creating the clay sculpture, we need to write a two thousand word paper about our selected theme and discuss techniques and such." She groaned, placing the note book down. "Any ideas?"

"A bowl of fruit?" he suggested, "it'd be easy?"

She gave him a flat look, then smiled. "And how would we explain our theme? We decided to base our clay sculpture on a bowl of fruit because this represents... I don't think that would turn out well."

"Well... perhaps we could do a sculpture of some fantasy creature? Then we could say something about although we get older, childhood fantasies never fade."

"Hmm, that could work. We'd need to add more to it though, maybe a two faced dragon? One with a young face and the opposite end with an older look? It could work to an extent; it's going to take us quite a long time to get it right though," Salima said, giving Rei a sideways pained look. "Are you willing to sacrifice long hours to get this right?"

"I am if you're willing," Rei replied, giving her a soft smile.

She grinned. "Great, then that settles it. We've got an idea. I think we should get started on it as soon as possible, how does tomorrow afternoon sound? We can do it at my place."

"Sure." It was only going to be a session spent at Salima's house to work on the assignment after all. What could possibly go wrong?

.

_Recess_

Mystel sat by himself at an empty table waiting for his friends to arrive. Lunch was his favourite time of the school day... well, second favourite. His favourite times were anything that involved Mariah. How he loved making her squirm. It wouldn't be long before she cracked. He wondered how Salima was handling Rei. Had she made a move yet? Only time would tell.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here first?" Ming Ming said, taking her seat opposite to him. She placed her plastic container consisting of fruit salad on the table, then pulled out a plastic fork and knife. "Did Brooklyn get all the girls again and leave you with nothing?"

"Brooklyn's got his eyes set on Matilda; he's not interested in anyone else," Mystel replied coldly.

It was no secret the relationship between Ming Ming and Mystel was a fragile one. Ming Ming preferred to keep her distance from her male companions, treating them as if they were beneath her. Only Garland managed to get some form of kindness from the girl. "I suppose that's a good thing then, more girls for you," she said, letting out a dismissive snort.

"Jealous you're not the object of Brooklyn's affections?" Mystel countered, fixing his eyes on her face.

She looked up from her container and glared at him. "I pity any girl who receives attention from that good for nothing jerk."

Mystel smirked. "Still reeling from your break up with him? I thought you didn't care about him at all."

Her gaze hardened. "I never loved Brooklyn."

"Really? Because I heard different. Brooklyn said you were on your knees begging for him to take you back," Mystel replied casually, grinning at the lack of amusement on Ming Ming's face.

She stabbed her fork through a banana chunk. "You think you're so amazing, don't you?"

"What can I say, I am."

"You and Brooklyn both think you can treat a woman without respect. Pick up a girl, screw her then dump her the next day crushing her hopes and dreams," she spat, "you're not always going to be lucky, you know. One day you'll be the one to experience hurt and rejection then we'll see who'll be laughing."

Mystel's smirk remained. "Brooklyn really did a number on you, didn't he, but he never slept with you. Why would he anyway? You've been around the block numerous times I'm surprised you haven't caught anything."

Ming Ming's grip on her fork tightened to a point until the plastic item snapped in half. "I heard about your little deal with Brooklyn, and you're not going to win. You're way out of her league," she whispered, a smirk appearing. "Mariah seems like a smart girl, she's not going to put up with your crap."

"I know her better than you do."

Ming Ming laughed, glanced to her right, then back to Mystel again. "Do you really know her? You seem to think you're God's greatest gift to women, but you're not. Far from it actually. You may look the part, but you certainly don't have the heart. This is just a game to you and Brooklyn, and frankly... it's really quite pathetic. But I wouldn't expect anything more coming from a heartless git like you."

"That's low coming from you. Maybe you're just mad because no one is paying you any attention. With the scene you created the other day, I'm sure no one is going to want to know you better," Mystel replied.

"I don't need someone to boost my status, Mystel," she replied, scathingly, "but apparently you do. I really feel pity for you. I just hope and pray Mariah will see right through that face and realize there's nothing there." She giggled again, "Your parents didn't want you... what makes you think Mariah will?" Cold laughter pierced the air, then she stood up and walked away.

.

_After English class_

A tall man dressed in a thick brown coat passed Kai in school corridor which for once was empty. He wasn't one of the teachers, but Kai recognized him immediately. "Boris? What are you doing here?" he asked, striding up to the man. Boris used to be one of Voltaire's partners at work, but he left five years ago to become a teacher instead. What was he doing in these halls anyway? How did he manage to keep himself hidden for so long?

Boris halted in his path and turned around. "Kai, it's been awhile since I've seen you. How have you been holding up?"

"Pretty good," came Kai's quick reply. "Why are you here?"

"Promise not to tell anyone else?"

Kai nodded. "What is it?"

"I'm your new principal. Stanley's invited me over for lunch while we discuss the future," Boris replied in a low voice. "The announcement will be made during assembly, but I thought you should know. How is your old man holding up?"

Despite not having seen Boris in quite a few years, it felt natural talking to him. It was like the good old days when Boris used to come over for dinner and discuss important business matters with his grandfather. It was certainly going to be a more enjoyable year now that Boris was here. Nothing against the jolly old man of course, but he felt closer to Boris than he ever did with Stanley. "He's alright, don't see much of him though. He comes home late so we rarely get the chance to hang out. He's frustrated with some of his staff, but what else is new?" Kai said, shrugging.

Boris frowned. "That's not what I meant, Kai."

"What did you mean, then? He hasn't gone completely senile yet or anything."

"You don't know? He didn't..." Boris looked away, troubled.

Kai felt a tremor of uncertainty rush down his spine. "What's wrong? Is something wrong with my grandfather?"

Boris turned away, mumbling something to himself. "He didn't tell Kai... why didn't you tell him, Voltaire?"

Kai stepped forward, almost reaching out to tap Boris on the back. "What's going on, Boris?" Once again, Boris ignored him seeming to be lost in his own world. Kai felt a strong wave of anxiety wash over him. He stepped around Boris and stood in front of him, giving him a questioning look. "What are you hiding from me? You disappear off the face of the earth for years and now you show up and you won't even tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry, Kai..."

"Sorry? Sorry for what? For leaving my grandfather to run his business alone? You were meant to be partners and you walked out on him!" Kai raised a hand and pointed at Boris accusingly, "You can't expect to waltz into this school and get away with not telling me anything. Why did you leave? What's wrong with my grandfather? And why have you become the new principal?"

Boris heaved a sigh, then rubbed his temple. It looked as if he was having a debate with himself about something important. "You deserve to know the truth..." He sighed again, "I left because Voltaire asked me to leave."

"What... why would he do that?"

"Your grandfather is sick, Kai. He asked me to leave because he couldn't bear for me to watch him suffer. The whole tale he told you about me wanting to explore other opportunities was a lie – it was a cover up for the truth."

Voltaire, sick? No... "...you're lying..." Why would Voltaire lie to his own grandson?

"I'm sorry, Kai but it's the truth. He didn't want you to know so you could concentrate fully on your studies. He didn't want to appear weak before you so he kept it hidden. He forced me to leave and become the new principal of your school so I could look out for you when the time came. That's why I applied for the job. Stanley is aware of the situation and he stepped aside gracefully," Boris explained.

It felt as if the walls around him were crashing down. The past few years had been a lie. The friendly talk, the close bond he formed with his grandfather... all an act to keep him in the dark. "He lied to me..."

"Your grandfather did what he thought was best. He considered telling you he was sick, but thought you were too young to handle it. I guess he couldn't bring himself to telling you even now." Boris placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, and stared into his eyes. "Voltaire has a brain tumour."

.

Was that a depressing chapter? Kai's life has changed forever and it won't be long for his closest friend to find out about it. Will Tyson change his mind and thus possibly damage his friendship by hiding a secret from Kai? Has Rei crossed a dangerous line? Did you like the tension between Ming Ming and Mystel – is this a foreshadowing of things to come? As always, reviews much appreciated. Should get another chapter out pretty quick – your lovely reviews are motivating me to write.


	14. At a Loss

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Rangerapprentice, Omegaxis1, SkyDragonKing and BlitzkriegGirl14 for reviewing the previous chapter. You guys are great – thanks for giving this story a chance and sticking with it this far and reviewing chapters.

**.**

**Chapter Fourteen: At a Loss**

_Friday, after school at Hilary's house_

She stood in front of her full-length mirror, smiling at her reflection staring back at her. She tossed her short hair behind her shoulders, then battered her eyelashes. "It's pretty hot today isn't it, Kai?" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth she uttered a curse word. "Oh, that's too lame. He'll never buy that, Hilary," she scorned herself.

She tried again. "So Kai, I'm having a little trouble answering this question... do you think you could help me?" Although it sounded better than her previous line, she knew that too wouldn't work. After all, she was known as a nerd. Kai would become suspicious if she asked for help seeing as she never asked for assistance. "Ugh, right now I wish I was just as clueless as Tyson." At least she could use that lame excuse to converse with Kai.

She continued to stare at the mirror for a few more minutes before throwing her hands up in the air. Forcing a disgruntled sigh, she stormed over to the edge of her bed then sat down. "I'm never going to be able to win him over," she mumbled. Kai never even looked her way once before that day she suggested tutoring Tyson. Was she not pretty enough? Did her 'nerd' nature intimidate him? Or was he simply not interested in girls? "He can't be gay..." Although she never caught him with any other girl. Tyson seemed to be his only friend.

"He doesn't strike me as a gay guy though, maybe he's asexual? Or scared of girls?" She wondered aloud, stroking her chin. He didn't seem to be scared of girls though, so that made the argument Kai being asexual much more stronger. None of these thoughts improved her mood. She wanted to be _with _him. "Calm down, Hilary. Kai just needs some encouragement, that's all." She took in a couple of deep breaths then sighed. "Why can't these things ever be easy?"

Falling back down on her bed, she gazed up at the ceiling. Kai was a difficult person to approach. He didn't have friends outside of Tyson... at least, not what she had seen anyway. He seemed to be the quiet type when he was by himself, but talkative when he was with Tyson. If she talked to Kai it would have to be a time when Tyson wasn't around, but the two were almost inseparable. Tyson was already suspicious of her feelings. She had to tread carefully otherwise Kai would know. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing if Kai knew I liked him, maybe he'd be more open to talking to me... but then again, what if he's repulsed by the though and wants nothing to do with me?" she reasoned. "No, it has to be kept a secret until I can work out his feelings."

That was the hard part.

Even thinking of a conversation starter was extremely difficult.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

"I'm doing a survey on household pets – could you please fill out this form and get it back to me as soon as possible?" Hilary asked, then sighed. "That's even worse than the previous one..." Running a hand through her chocolate brown locks, she rolled onto her side. Her eyes fixed on the bedside photo. It was a photo of her and her friends taken last Christmas. All her friends had partners, but she had no one. She turned away, unable to look at their smiling faces any longer. Why couldn't she be happy like them?

"What am I doing wrong? Why am I still single? Am I meant to be single forever?" she wondered aloud. "I'm going to be a virgin forever." Not that she condoned sex before marriage, but she had heard about the pleasures of sex many times. She often heard Julia and Mariam boast about their hook ups. Sometimes, she wished she had been in similar situations so she could share some juicy girly gossip. "Get a grip, Hilary!" she scolded. "You're not like those girls."

She wasn't as beautiful as Julia and Mariam, nor was she as confident. While those girls could start a conversation with any cute guy without breaking a sweat, she would turn red and stutter. "Hilary, are you alright? You've been in there for hours now!" her mother called, knocking on the door.

Could she tell her mother about her crush on Kai? She had grown very close to her mother ever since her dad walked out on them five years ago. She could tell her everything – well, almost everything. Talking about crushes on cute guys was a different story however. She had a deep fear she'd hurt her mother with talks about guys considering what happened between her parents. But this continued bottled up frustration was going to destroy her. "You can come in you know."

The door opened and her mother stepped inside. Hilary was a spitting image of her mother, same eyes, same hair colour, same facial structure... appearance wise the same, but personalities were quite different. Her mother lacked the stubborn and hot-tempered personality Hilary appeared to have. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked, sitting down beside her daughter.

Here it goes, she thought. "I'm in a bit of a situation..." she started, carefully looking at her mother's expression.

"Friendship problems?"

"Not quite... it's about a guy... two guys actually," she said slowly.

Her mother's expression went blank. "Are they giving you a hard time?"

Hilary shook her head. "No no, it's just..."

A smile slowly crossed on her mother's face. "Ah, teenage girl crush?"

Well, at least her mother was smiling and not looking hurt. She relaxed a little then continued, "They're both really close friends. I'd hate to come between them and all, but I really like this one guy. But he hasn't taken any notice of me before until I suggested tutoring Tyson. Things seemed to be going fine and all, but Tyson thinks I'm only tutoring him to get closer to Kai and if Kai finds out, he'll probably hate me!" she blurted out without stopping to take a single breath.

Her mother lifted a brow. "Slow down, Hilary."

"Sorry, I've kept it to myself for a few days now," she replied sheepishly.

"Kai... isn't that the grandson of Voltaire? The CEO of Hiwatari Enterprises?"

Hilary nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

"He seems like a nice boy."

"He is."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"I don't know what to say to him! My mouth seems to stop working when I near him." She buried her face in her hands, sighing. "He probably thinks I'm a fool."

Her mother patted her on the back, then gave her a tight hug. "I'm sure this boy does not think of you as a fool, and if he does... then he's not worth the effort. And what about this other boy you mentioned? You said he knows about your feelings for his friend?"

Hilary nodded again. "He has his suspicions. I'm scared he's going to tell Kai. And then... everyone in the school will know. Can you imagine the gossip?"

"You are worrying too much, Hil. Just be yourself – maybe he's too shy to approach you? If that's the case you'll have to make the first move." She moved her arms away from her daughter. "I hope you feel better, Hilary. We can discuss this in more depth later, but right now I have to finish cooking dinner." She stood up and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Hilary collapsed on the bed again. "Be yourself. Right. That sounds simple enough."

But how could she 'be herself' when he made her feel nervous?

.

_After school at Kai's house_

He stormed into the house and threw his unclosed school bag across the room, causing the insides of the bag to fly out. Textbooks, pencils and other equipment scattered across the floor, but Kai didn't care for the mess he was making. Yesterday he had taken the news calmly – but today, something inside him snapped.

"How could he lie to me?!" he shouted, kicking the couch. "How could he fuckin' lie to me?!" He kicked the couch again, then cursed as pain throbbed in his foot.

Voltaire was sick. Brain tumour. Boris wasn't lying, he never did. He withheld the information from Kai as a promise to Voltaire. Kai flopped down onto the couch, blood pounding in his head. His grandfather was sick and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. The feeling of helplessness made him mad. Voltaire was his only family left. Without him, he'd be alone. He sat on the couch for a few more moments, letting his anger subside. "I need to find out more," he told himself, standing up from the couch.

He was glad his grandfather wasn't home. He wouldn't approve of him snooping around his room searching through the drawers for information. Entering the room, he looked at the clock. It was five thirty - Voltaire would be home in an hour. He didn't have much time. Pushing aside thoughts of anger, Kai searched through Voltaire's room. He searched the cupboards, the wardrobe, every drawer and even under the bed. But he found nothing. "There has got to be something..." he muttered. Perhaps Voltaire hid the information in some clothes? Kai searched Voltaire's clothing, digging his hands into pockets but still he found nothing. "Where is he hiding it?" He scanned the room, troubled. His gaze fell on the bed. He squinted. Was that a piece of paper hiding in the pillow? He moved closer. "Hn, hiding stuff in the pillowcase. Nice try, grandfather."

He picked up the paper, unfolded it and read the contents. "This is the last will and testament of Voltaire Hiwatari of 31 Maple Avenue, Brisbane Queensland 4879. I hereby revoke all former wills and testamentary dispositions here to fore made by me and declare this to be my last true will and testament. I appoint my grandson, Kai Hiwatari of 31 Maple Avenue, Brisbane Queensland 4879. I give devise and bequeath all my real and personal property to my grandson, Kai Hiwatari after payment of all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, for his own use and benefit absolutely..." Kai read, reading the first half of the will aloud.

Kai skipped the next few numbers until he reached the last few lines. "After my death, I wish to donate the following organs: heart, lungs, kidneys, corneas and liver. I wish to be cremated and my ashes thrown into the ocean on the day of my birth at sunset..." Kai placed the paper down on the bed, then spotted another one. It was addressed to Kai. He picked it up and read the contents of the letter.

"Dear Kai. If you are reading this now, then you are aware of my condition. Why else would you sneak around my room? You're probably wondering why I didn't tell you. The truth is, I couldn't look you in the eyes and tell you that I'm dying. I have been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in the left temporal lobe sever. It was fixed several years ago, but a new one has emerged quite recently. The doctors call it glioblastoma multiforme grade three tumour. I guess you're wondering how I've kept it hidden for so long – I've been receiving treatment for the new tumour but not as much as I should be. At my age, there's no point in fighting. I'm old and tired; this is a battle I cannot win. I've made preparations for your future and they will commence immediately upon my death..." Kai read, the paper trembling in his hand. He felt like a fool for not noticing anything earlier. "I love you, Kai." Kai let the paper fall out of his hand, watching it float to the ground as tears threatened to spill.

.

_After school at Salima's house_

Rei entered Salima's room admiring the set up. Her walls were a shade of pale pink, decorated with posters of scenic imagery. Her furniture also matched the walls with matching bed sheets and pillowcases. At first he found it overwhelming, but then he reminded himself Mariah too loved the colour pink. "Well, you can have a seat. I'll just go and get the sandwiches from the kitchen. Make yourself comfortable," she said, then headed out the room.

Rei nodded and sat down on the bed. He looked around some more, eyes falling on the photograph that rested on her bedside table. "Huh, an old school photo taken in our first year of highschool," he said softly, drawing closer to the frame. He reached out and grabbed it, bringing it closer to his face. "Wow, we looked so young back then." In the photo, he stood in between Mariah and Salima. Both girls seemed so innocent and carefree. "How times have changed," he said, smiling softly. The photo reminded him of the time Mariah once captivated him. Sure, they were both childhood friends, but love never existed. Only when he reached his teenage years did he begin to view her in a different light.

"Bring back old memories?" Salima asked, carrying a sandwich platter in her hand. She placed it on the bed, then sat down beside Rei. He almost jumped at hearing her voice. She laughed. "Don't panic, Rei. It wasn't as if you were caught snooping through my drawers."

Rei placed the photo back down, then gazed down at the sandwiches. He detected the scent of peanut butter in them. Suddenly, he felt quite hungry. "Thanks, Salima."

She smiled. "I need to look after my assignment partner. Can't have you passing out on me can I?" she laughed, playfully tapping him on the shoulder.

He smiled back. "I feel like we're having a picnic with these sandwiches."

"We could always upgrade and turn it into a party," Salima said, winking.

"As much as I'd love too, I don't think Mariah would be too pleased if we had a party and she wasn't invited." He tilted his chin down, examining his hands resting on his lap. "She doesn't like it when we're not together."

Salima placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, she's not here now. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. You need to loosen up a little, Rei. You look like you haven't been happy in a long time."

Rei jerked his head up. "That isn't true. It's just... hard to enjoy fun activities. Mariah never fails to inform me about her issues. I mean, I want to support her the best way I can, but it gets..."

"Boring?" Salima finished.

Rei nodded. "Yeah, boring. I'd like a little spontaneity, you know? Everything we do together is planned." He looked at her with a sullen look.

"You want a little spontaneity?" Before Rei could react, Salima brought her face towards his, then pressed her lips against his own. Rei was shocked at first, pulling back upon contact. Salima looked at him, with fake hurt eyes. "You asked for it." She was about to turn away, but Rei stopped her, cupping her chin with a hand. His eyes lingered on her, unmoving. Then he brought his face towards hers, warm lips brushing against her own.

**.**

I hoped this chapter seemed somewhat realistic and dramatic. What will happen next? Want a hint? Fill in the missing names!

? and ? come to blows over ? who musters up the courage to speak to ?.

? feels a heavy weight on his shoulders over the moment, as his attraction to ? begins to grow.

? takes one step closer to winning the bet, but is he really in it for love?

Quite simple really if you've been following the past few chapters. Reviews are much appreciated, as always! Inspiration is flowing for the next chapter, so I should get that done within the next couple of days.

**.**


	15. The Game of Love

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

S**pecial Thanks**

LoisReynolds, Omegaxis1, Rangerapprentice, BlitzkriegGirl14 and SkyDragonKing for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Fifteen: The Game of Love**

_Friday, before school_

What was the best way to start a conversation with a crush? Hilary pondered the question in her mind as she took her usual route to school. The streets were busy at this time in the morning – adults driving to work after dropping kids off and students walking to school whilst the stragglers busied themselves at the shops. Hilary never stopped at the shops before school because of the people who were usually present.

The Psykick group might be the most feared group at school, but Hilary found Queen more intimidating. She was a parasite, thriving on the misery of fellow students. Every word that left her mouth was poison and full of hate. She spun tales and she spread lies all for her own sick amusement. She was the Queen of malicious gossip.

Hilary avoided her at all costs. A person with any form of sense would avoid her. But still, despite her vile nature, she had her loyal followers. Oversexed jocks and bimbos obeyed her every command thinking that would earn her respect. Of course it never did and the girls became unpaid whores while the guys picked up without wasting any effort. But Queen was the real winner. In return for her services in setting up dates, her followers would pay her money. To this day she had never failed to set up a date.

She made her way past the cafe when she overhead the voices of Queen and her followers. Glancing around her, she searched for a place to hide. The last thing she wanted to do was to have a forced conversation with the cattiest of all girls. Fortunately, there was a line of bushes nearby. She walked off the footpath and ducked behind one of the bushes, peering through and watching the girls. Queen and her friends were standing outside the cafe in a circle.

"So Queen, who is the next guy on your next list?" asked a girl with long black hair. Hilary didn't recognize her.

"Kai."

Hilary jerked her head up at the mention of Kai. "Kai? That guy who hangs out with that dork, Tyson? Why do you want him?"

"I'm sure there's a lot more to him than what meets the eye."

Queen? Pining for Kai? This couldn't be good. Considering her track record Kai would be hers. Hilary pressed her lips together, biting back the urge to shout. There was no way in hell she would let Queen get her grimy hands on Kai! But how could she stop Queen? The girl was well protected. "I need to talk to Kai." Simple thought but hard to carry out. Would Kai even listen to her, let alone believe her? Or would he just write her off as being jealous?

"Come, let us head inside," Queen said, motioning for her friends to follow her inside.

Hilary left her hiding spot behind the bush and carried on her usual route as if nothing had happened. Queen and her cronies had entered the cafe, probably to discuss a way to seduce Kai over a cup of coffee and share some gossip at the same time. The thought of Queen being with Kai urged her to move quickly. She almost ran to the school gates.

There! Kai! She saw him exit his grandfather's car and walk up towards the school gate, his head facing the ground. Without giving her next action more thought, Hilary raced up to Kai. "Kai!" she almost shouted.

He tilted his chin up and looked at her, his expression anything but pleased. The last time they had a close encounter, Kai seemed happy to see her. Now he was the complete opposite, his eyes lacking a joyous spark replaced by anger and hurt. "Hello, Hilary."

This was the opportunity to start a conversation with Kai, but her brain failed to form a coherent sentence. So she smiled instead feeling foolish. "H-hi, Kai," she said. Stupid brain! She scolded herself, aware that Kai was watching her closely. Gosh, he's so handsome... she thought. Brown thoughtful eyes, a cute nose, strong jaw...

"Eager to get to school, huh?"

"What?"

"You were walking very fast to get here."

So observant. "Uh yeah. I like to get the best spot in class," she blurted out. What would he think of me now? She thought, feeling her cheeks begin to burn.

Kai smiled. "That's dedication." The conversation died. Hilary fidgeted feeling uncomfortable. Kai seemed to take that as a hint to continue talking. He cleared his throat, "So... the weather is pretty good today."

Now Hilary smiled. Kai's conversation starters were the same ones she had in mind. Her confidence grew with each line of conversation. Speaking to Kai wasn't difficult at all. "Yeah, it is. What class do you have first?"

"Uh... economics. What about you?"

"I've got cooking." She shuddered. Cooking was one of those classes she couldn't quite get the hand of.

"Tyson was going to take cooking classes, but I convinced him to take economics with me instead," he grinned sheepishly. "All the food would be gone otherwise."

"Are you taking all the business subjects?"

Kai nodded. "My grandfather wants me to take over the business after he..." He stopped the conversation, expression falling flat. "I'm sorry, but I need to go." He turned his back to Hilary and walked off, hands dug into his pockets.

**.**

It was as if he was suddenly carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. Every move he took seemed to take more effort than the last. Guilt weighed him down. The shame he had brought upon his tribe's name was unforgiving. It was only a kiss, a little voice of excuse said in his head. It was an accident, that's all. Caught up in the moment. But it was more than that. It wasn't a passionless kiss. He found himself wanting to be with Salima more than ever, but it was loyalty to his tribe that kept him in place.

He dipped his hands into the basin dunking them with cold water, then brought his hands to his face. The coolness of the water felt refreshing, but it couldn't remove the feel on his lips nor erase what happened. "Damn," he muttered. He grabbed a towel and dried his face then left the bathroom. It wasn't cheating if no one else knew about it. That's what Salima said. But each hook up hurt Mariah even more.

"Ah there you are, Rei! I was looking for you," Tao said.

Rei lifted a brow. "Shouldn't you be at school now? I thought teachers liked to meet early."

"Not all of us, but that's not what I want to talk to you about." He pointed to the kitchen table. "Please sit."

Rei followed Tao to the table. "What's the topic of discussion?"

"Mariah."

Alarm bells went off in Rei's head. Did Tao know about himself and Salima? Was he aware of Rei's feelings towards Mariah? Tao seemed to have the ability to detect things early. He pulled out a chair and sat down, tapping his fingers on the table. "What's wrong?" he asked, feeling a coldness overcome him.

"I want to make sure you understand the importance of your relationship with Mariah. You were chosen out of your generation to marry a special girl. We've been fortunate with you, Rei. You and Mariah have gotten along extremely well – sometimes these arrangements don't quite work out." He leaned across the table, reaching out for a glass of water. "Anything that will hinder the relationship will reflect badly on you and the tribe. You will bring shame to our name and you will be cast out, banished."

The guilt worsened. "I will not do anything to hurt Mariah." Lies. Every word he spoke was a lie. Tao was a man he respected – the eldest of the tribe. And now he was lying to him to protect his secret. The man had nothing but praise for Rei.

"That is good to hear. I would hate for anything bad to happen to Mariah."

If a woman was hurt, it always the man's fault no matter what the situation was. If a man was caught cheating on his partner, he would be banished and forgotten. If the female cheated, the blame would be placed on the man for leading her away into the arms of someone else. "I promise you, Tao."

Tao leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "You may leave now. I will see you in class later this afternoon."

Rei waited until Tao had left the room before banging his fists on the table. He had lied to his tribe's leader. He was lying to Mariah, the girl he was to marry. He was lying to his friends, lying to Mariah's brother. He couldn't erase the past, but he could stop now. "It was just a slip-up, that's all. She took advantage of me," Rei told himself. He pushed away from the table. "It won't happen again."

**.**

The cafe seemed to be a popular gathering place for the students. He recognized a few students from his classes, but didn't know their names. They weren't important anyway; he was only here for one student. She was standing in line, a textbook in her hand looking slightly flustered. Brooklyn stood from afar before deciding to join her. "Matilda," he greeted.

Matilda jumped. "Oh, gosh! I didn't even notice you!"

Brooklyn pouted. "I'm hurt."

"Sorry! I'm just so worried about this chemistry homework. I'm stuck."

His grim expression morphed into a playful grin. "I was joking, Mattie... can I call you Mattie?"

The poor girl blushed. "Sure. No one else has called me that before..."

Brooklyn jerked his head over to a spare table near the window. "Take a seat, Mattie. I'll place an order and then I'll help you with your homework. Sounds good, right?"

"You'll help me?" she asked, hopeful. Then her expression turned sour. "My friends won't approve of that. They don't like you very much after what happened the other day."

Sighing, Brooklyn ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not the bad guy here... your friends are. Casting judgement on me without even getting to know me well. That's not really fair is it?" he shrugged, giving her a questioning glance.

"I'll reserve my judgement," she replied, before turning away. "Surprise me."

Matilda walked away to the spare table Brooklyn pointed out earlier. Once she was seated, Brooklyn strolled up to the counter to place an order. A banana muffin and a mixed berry frappe. Something simple, but quick. If it was a weekend he'd spend a few more dollars for something extravagant, but school started in less than two hours. He considered this a trial date. An unplanned one, but it was the chance to convince Matilda her friends were a bad influence.

"What do you need help with?" Brooklyn asked, taking a seat next to her.

She didn't reply. Instead, her gaze was fixed on the cafe entrance. "Oh no, it's Miguel."

Brooklyn eyes narrowed. "Miguel?"

"We were friends once. He asked me out the other day and I said no. I can't bear to look at him, I feel bad for turning him down," she confessed, sinking back down in her chair hoping Miguel wouldn't look their way. Although Matilda didn't want Miguel hanging around, Brooklyn saw this as an opportunity to build up his reputation. He met Miguel's eyes and waved at him, smiling. "What are you doing?!" Matilda hissed.

"Being friendly. I want to fix up the bad image I've gotten," Brooklyn replied. "Hello Miguel!"

"This is a mistake..." Matilda whispered.

He winked in her direction. "I'm a pleasant person."

Miguel seemed hesitant to approach. He remained in a fixed position watching them from afar before deeming it safe. His eyes rested on Matilda's immediately. "Matilda," he said, nodding.

She forced a smile. "Miguel."

Miguel looked at Brooklyn. "You must be Brooklyn. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good things I hope."

"Quite the opposite, actually."

Brooklyn held up his hands in defence. "Okay, you got me. I haven't been a saint or anything, but I truly want to change." Miguel coked his head sideways as if he were trying to determine whether Brooklyn was being sarcastic. "I'm helping Mattie with her homework."

"Giving her the right answers, I hope," Miguel said mockingly.

"Of course... I am a chemistry expert," Brooklyn returned smoothly.

Miguel sighed. "Just don't cause any trouble and I won't have a problem with you or your friends." He retreated, but not before giving Matilda one last fleeting look.

"See? We're getting on famously."

"It could've taken a wrong turn."

"But it didn't, did it? But stop thinking about Miguel. You want to pass chemistry, right?"

Matilda nodded, then flipped the pages searching for the right page. As she did, Brooklyn observed Miguel. It was obvious Miguel held some affection for Matilda, it was apparent in his behaviour. Such information could be used to his advantage if the cards were played right. Brooklyn sunk back in his chair. He just had to set up Miguel for a fall.

.

I hoped that wasn't too boring. The last chapter had a lot going on so it was only natural this was toned down a little. So Hilary and Brooklyn have competition and Rei finds himself in a tight situation. What will happen next? Will anyone like to have a guess? As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	16. The Calm Before the Storm

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Harpie x, Omegaxis1, Rangerapprentice and SkyDragonKing for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Calm Before the Storm**

_Friday, during school – before first class_

Several days had passed since he last traded words with Salima. The girl had avoided him as if her life depended on it. Did she think he was going to mess things up for them both? Mystel didn't like being ignored; no one did. He wanted answers. Had she bailed out on him? Why was she keeping her distance? "Salima," Mystel asked, walking over to her locker in the hallway.

She spun around. "Oh, Mystel."

"What the hell is going on?"

She pouted. "That's no way to greet a lady."

Mystel rolled his eyes. "You've been avoiding me since we had our little chat."

"I haven't bailed on you if that's what you're worried about. You and I aren't friends, Mystel. We're only working together to achieve a common goal, that's all." She turned around again, entering her locker combination.

"So... how _is_everything coming along?" Mystel asked, leaning against the locker to the right.

"Good. It shouldn't be much longer now."

Mystel's eyes narrowed. "You better hope he doesn't come to his senses and realize what he is doing is wrong."

She turned her head sideways and smiled. "Everything will turn out the way I want it to. Rei might try to resist, but he'll give in eventually. Now... I need to go. I'll keep you updated, alright?" Without waiting for answer, Salima turned away and left.

.

Garland watched his friend for a couple of seconds wondering what thoughts were racing through his mind. Kane and his friends weren't to be trusted; well, that's what the word was around the school yard anyway. Was Mystel aware of their notorious reputation? He strode over to the blond. "I didn't realize you and Salima were friendly with each other."

"We're not friends, Garland. We just had a talk, that's all," Mystel replied, avoiding Garland's gaze.

"You can't trust them."

Now Mystel met Garland's gaze. "Why do you care?"

That confirmed Garland's fears. Salima obviously had some sort of a hold over him. "What did she offer you?"

"Nothing." He tried to move away, but Garland stepped in front of him. "Garland... please move. I'll be late for the next class."

Garland lifted a brow. "Since when were you concerned about making it to class on time?" Mystel didn't reply. "I'm trying to warn you, Mystel. As a friend I feel obliged to help you in whatever way I can. They are not to be trusted."

Mystel glanced to his left, then right as is searching for a way to get past Garland quickly. "Look... Salima and I were just having a conversation about Rei." As soon as the words left his mouth, he muttered a curse.

"Rei? Mariah's boyfriend." Garland did the maths in his head. If Mystel was talking to Salima about Rei then it meant he was seeking assistance from her. He couldn't see why else Mystel would even bother. "You're looking for help."

"I'm not letting Brooklyn win," was Mystel's simple response.

"You're playing with fire, Mystel. What do you plan to do? Split Rei and Mariah up for your own benefit?" Garland asked, anger in his voice rising. He never lost his cool in a conversation before, but the words he was hearing were unbelievable!

Mystel rolled his eyes. "Salima likes Rei. It's why she's offered to help me. She gets Rei, and I get Mariah. We both win."

"Do you really think it's that simple? You can't play matchmaker."

"And what would you know about relationships, Garland? You've never been in one before. You can't share advice with me without any experience to back up your claims," Mystel replied, eyes narrowed.

Garland could see he was losing Mystel's attention quickly. None of his words appeared to be sinking in. It was just a game to the blond – a bit of competition to see who could pick up a girl quicker. The entire bet was ridiculous. "This needs to end before it gets out of hand. Do you think Mariah will be overjoyed when she finds out Rei is with Salima and you were behind it?"

"She'll thank me later."

"Thank you? For what? By making a fool of her?" Mystel remained silent prompting Garland to continue speaking. "Only disastrous consequences await if you continue to go along with this stupid plan. Do you want to be responsible for ruining someone else's life?"

"I don't care how anyone else feels."

Selfish. Garland willed himself to remain calm and collected. Mystel was one of the lucky guys who didn't experience any problems when it came to females. For Garland however, it was an awkward experience. There was a saying, 'nice guys always come last' and was true for Garland. He was the guy that was always pushed into the dreaded 'friend zone'. It didn't seem fair. "I'm not going to stop you, but this will end up badly."

Mystel shrugged. "You should loosen up a little Garland; you're always so tense and serious. Maybe that's why you are still single?"

Continuing this debate seemed pointless. Mystel wasn't interested in listening. He's going to learn the hard way, thought Garland. "If you need someone to talk to, you know where to find me." It was his job after all to look out for his friends.

"I'll be fine."

That's what they all say before everything falls apart.

**.**

"Mariah, are you free this weekend?" Rei asked, as he walked down the school corridor with Mariah at his side.

"I'm free... but why are you asking? I thought you were going to be working on that assignment with Salima?" she replied, giving him a thoughtful look.

That was the initial plan, but after what happened a few days earlier, Rei wasn't sure if he could manage to be in the same room as Salima. Just the mention of the name reminded him of that kiss. He forced an image of Salima aside and focused his full attention on Mariah. She was his girlfriend. She was the most important person in his life. "I just thought we could spend the weekend together."

Mariah smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

"Anything you want to do will be fine with me." Making Mariah happy was important. If he kept her entertained thoughts of Salima would fade away. At least, that's what he hoped. "You want to go and check out the art show don't you?"

"But you don't like art? I don't want to do something you don't want to do."

He forced a smile. "I need inspiration for the project. I think it's the perfect time to go. I get inspiration and you get to do something you really want to do. We both win." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer. "We haven't spent a lot of time together in the past week; and with assignments coming up our time together will be limited. We should make the most of it while we can."

Mariah pushed him playfully. "What's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You never really make an effort when it comes to planning activities, that's usually my job." She grinned at the confusion on his face. "I'm glad that you're making the effort though. It's taken you a long time."

"Better late than never."

"But what brought on the sudden change?" she asked, gazing up at him with thoughtful eyes.

Salima made him change. She placed doubt in his mind and now he walked a dangerous path. But if no one discovered what happened then his secret would be safe. "I haven't been giving you the attention you rightfully deserve." His stomach twisted. The lies wouldn't stop coming. "I'd hate to lose you, Mariah." So full of shit, a voice in his head said.

Mariah looked at him. "You know you don't have to do this. I was joking around you know. I love you just the way you are." She kissed him on the cheek.

Always wanting to be in control... happy to have the upperhand. Shut up! Rei screamed in his head. Salima gives you freedom you never experienced before and you know that's true, the voice added. Mocking him. He could only hope and pray his face wasn't showing his inner conflict. Mariah didn't seem to notice any change at all though. "So... what class do you have next?"

**.**

With a satisfied grin on her face, Mariah headed towards her first class of the day thinking about the upcoming weekend with Rei. It was unusual of him to show such an interest in activity planning, but she appreciated the effort anyway. "You seem awfully happy this morning," a girl said, stepping out from a nearby room.

Mariah almost jumped, completely taken off guard. A slender girl with long blue hair and emerald green eyes stood against the wall, an inquiring look on her face. "Mariam. I haven't seen much of you around." Mariam kept to herself a majority of the time. She had only ever seen five people in Mariam's company; Joseph, her younger brother; Ozuma and Dunga, childhood friends and Michael, her on and off boyfriend. Mariah had often tried to extend a hand of friendship but the girl always turned her down, stating she preferred her own company.

"You know me... I try to avoid contact with other students."

"I don't understand why, Mariam. You'd be more than welcome to join my group of friends."

"I appreciate the effort... but your group of friends aren't exactly my cup of tea." She pushed herself off the wall and stood in front of Mariah. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Rei." She waved her left hand in the air as if swatting away a fly. "You really should ditch him you know. He's not good for you at all."

"We've been together for three years, Mariam. We're meant to be."

Mariam lifted a questioning brow. "Do you honestly believe that? I know it's not my place to question the status of your relationship with Rei... but are you sure you can trust him one hundred percent? I've seen him with Salima."

"Nothing gets by you, Mariam. You seem to know everything that happens around here," Mariah pointed out. Although Mariam avoided contact with most students, she certainly seemed to know a lot about them all. She knew who was dating you, she knew who failed an exam and she even knew who has slept with whom. How she knew so much was beyond her understanding. "You don't need to worry about Rei. He's doing an art assignment with Salima."

"Uh huh. I'm sure it's an interesting... art... assignment."

She flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder. "Rei isn't interested in her. If he was, he would've made a move on her by now."

Mariam sighed. "If that's what you want to believe... don't forget who you are talking to, Mariah. I _know_everything that happens here. You said it yourself – nothing gets by me." Her tone softened. "I'm looking out for you, Mariah."

"Thanks."

Mariam stepped closer. "You need to be aware of what is going on around you. You're in danger of losing your status. Stanley's leaving and Boris is taking over. Boris will obviously favour his students over you and that's going to make it a lot tougher for you if you want to top the academic rank."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Like I said, I'm looking out for you," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "Someone needs to otherwise you're just going to walk into trouble. Kane and his friends have a plan and you are their focus."

Mariah nodded slowly letting Mariam's words sink in. Kane's gang was their biggest rival and any plan of theirs would come at a great cost. With Stanley leaving and Boris taking over, the Psykicks would be more likely to bring their plan into action as Boris wasn't aware of their reputation. "I'll keep your words in mind."

Mariam gave her a rare smile. "That's all I ask."

.

This chapter (set on the same day as the previous one) only focuses on Mystel and Mariah because they've both been absent for the past two chapters. I hope you enjoyed – see you all in the next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated!


	17. From Bad to Worse

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

SkyDragonKing, Omegaxis1 and Rangerapprentice for reviewing the previous chapter – thanks for sticking with me this far! I do hope you are enjoying it.

**.**

**Chapter Seventeen: From Bad to Worse**

_Saturday _

Brooklyn sat underneath the tree, his back resting up against the trunk. Matilda sat beside him pouring over the notes laid out on the grass before her. Weekends were the best. A time to relax and have fun at the same time without having to deal with inferior students for eight hours. "I hope you find those notes helpful; I spent all night working on them," Brooklyn lazily said, stifling a yawn.

She glanced at him. "They're the best notes I have ever seen! I think I'm beginning to understand that nonsense our teacher spews now," she replied, earning a light-hearted chuckle from Brooklyn. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "What's so funny?"

"That 'nonsense' is actually useful if you ever want to get involved in a science based career," he replied, grinning.

"I don't want that type of career... I wouldn't make a very good scientist," she said flatly, then turned back to the notes. Her eyes scanned the paper again for a few brief minutes, then she turned back to Brooklyn. "I'm sick of studying. I think it's time for a break."

"I like the sound of that."

Matilda rested against the tree, her eyes gazing into his own. "Tell me about yourself, Brooklyn."

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "I want to know more about you. All I know so far is this... you're an intelligent guy who can be a bit of a douche at times."

He pretended to be hurt by her words. "Aww, that hurts."

She laughed. "Seriously... I didn't think much of you when you first appeared on the scene," she said, referring to the cafe incident that happened earlier last week, "but there's more to you than what first meets the eyes. I want to know you better."

"Well then... ask away."

"Where do you live? Where did you come from? How come I've never heard of you before and why show up now in the final year?" Matilda asked.

He shrugged. "I live in a shared house with Ming Ming, Crusher, Mystel and Garland. Boris is our guardian... and our soon to be principal." He ignored Matilda's surprised gasp. "Boris found us at a young age and brought us together. We were all homeschooled for a number of years," he paused briefly, gazing down at his hands resting on his lap, then looked up again meeting her eyes, "some of us couldn't afford to go to a school and some of us didn't see the point."

"It must have been difficult," she said softly."

He nodded. "I didn't think much of it at the time – it wasn't as if we were completely shut off from the social world anyway, we had each other after all. But being in this environment makes me wish we started earlier."

"You said some of you couldn't afford to go to school?"

He nodded again, rubbing his chin. "You haven't seen him yet, but Crusher's parents couldn't afford to send him and his sister to a school. They lived below the poverty line back in their home of Brazil. They were fortunate enough that Boris happened to be visiting the country and he offered to provide them the education they desperately wanted. Unfortunately, Crusher's sister got sick – she's in the hospital as we speak fighting for her life." It felt weird sharing personal information with Matilda, but if he wanted to win her favour, she needed to know who he was.

"That's sad to hear. What of Ming-Ming? I can't imagine that tramp came from a struggling background."

A smirk crossed his face. "That's where you're wrong. Ming Ming always wanted to be a singer... but there was one problem. She can't sing in tune at all. Her parents wasted a fortune trying to improve her skills until they finally decided to give up. She went through a period of depression. She left her family and worked at a fast food store slaving away day and night, trying hard to pay for her own lessons since her parents couldn't be bothered anymore. Boris came along one day and offered her a home," Brooklyn explained. He picked up a blade of grass and curled it around his finger.

"Hmph, unexpected, but she deserves everything she gets."

"Yeah, she's a bitch alright," Brooklyn answered, "I would know – I went out with her for awhile."

"You what?" Matilda asked looking mortified.

"She was desperate," Brooklyn defended, "and I thought I should be nice to her. That was a mistake, she's so needy it's disgusting."

"I take it your relationship with her was a short lived one."

"I got sick of her crap."

"What about Garland? He seems decent enough."

Brooklyn shrugged. "That's what he is... a decent guy. I don't think he's capable of doing anything wrong."

"What's his backstory?"

"It's not a sob tale, rather Garland wanted to prove himself that he could be a success as well. You see, his family is quite the competitive one. Jesse exceeded in baseball, Todd in soccer. Kylie found success in tennis and his other sister found joy in golf. Jamie, the final brother found a life in racing. So Garland chose kickboxing. He hasn't quite reached international headlines yet and I doubt he ever will."

Matilda's eyes narrowed. "That's not nice to say about a friend."

"Garland doesn't know what he wants. He's only trying to be an athlete because everyone else in his family is. What he doesn't realize is that he was the one blessed with the brains... I've met his siblings, they're all stupid," Brooklyn answered, rolling his eyes. "I'd try telling him to ditch the sport, but he's too serious about it."

"What about Mystel?"

"What about him?"

She glared. "His backstory."

"There's not really much to say about him."

"You're friends though, aren't you?"

Brooklyn snorted. "I'd use that term loosely. We get along sometimes, but we're not close."

"A clash of personalities?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "He's just... difficult to get along with, that's all. As for his backstory... well, I meant what I said. There's not much to say because I don't know much at all. Boris promised never to bring it up and Mystel himself won't speak about it. All I know is that he didn't have a good relationship with his parents. I think they gave him the boot early on for some reason." He gave her a half-smile, "You can ask him if you like, though don't be disappointed if he says nothing."

"Alright... enough about them... what's your story?" Matilda asked, moving closer.

"I'm the genius," he replied casually, "I didn't see the point in having to go to school. Went to one back in primary and I was bullied for it." He forced a laugh. "Yeah, hard to believe I know, but I was once a doormat. So I studied at home and competed in competitions in which of course I won without much effort. I was forced into attending the final year because the state requires all students in their final year must be enrolled at a school. Dumb, but I can't change the law. That's pretty much it. I'm blessed with brains," he grinned widely at her, then winked. "Lucky for you, you have your own personal genius."

"I feel so honoured," she replied mockingly.

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "And so you should. I don't often go out of my way to help people."

_._

For many, the weekend brought smiles to student's faces, but for Kai it brought only sadness. How many weekends did he have left to spend with his grandfather? Two? Three? He didn't have an answer and it irked him. Voltaire could pass away anytime now – he wanted to be prepared for the moment, to brace himself for the emotion rollercoaster ride to follow. But Voltaire wouldn't speak to him about the details.

Heck, Voltaire wasn't even home right now. He had left early in the morning to attend some 'business' meeting in the city. That was an obvious lie – Voltaire never held meetings during the weekend because he used that time to be with Kai. Voltaire was trying to avoid a confrontation with Kai about his illness, that much was certain. "What are you afraid of, Voltaire? I just want answers, that's all..." Kai muttered, staring up at the ceiling in his bedroom.

He was about to close his eyes when he felt a vibration in his pocket. Reaching down immediately, he pulled out his iPhone and answered the call. Unknown number. "Better not be those bloody telemarketers again..." he mumbled, "I'm not in the mood to deal with crap right now." He brought the phone to his ear. "Hello, Kai speaking."

"Hello, Kai."

Kai froze. "Tala?"

He heard Tala chuckle on the other end. "Indeed, have you missed me? The boys and I have missed you... Kai."

Kai clenched his jaw and almost spat into the phone. "How the hell did you get my number? I blocked you then changed my number."

"Such anger..." He heard Tala sigh. "Let's just say I have my contacts... we used to be friends, Kai."

Kai's hand tightened around the phone to a point his arm shook. "We were _never _friends, Tala!"

"But we have such history together! Don't you remember that day you beat up that kid and stole his money for us? What was his name... Alexander, I think?" Tala chuckled, then spoke again, "Come on, Kai. You have to admit – we had a lot of fun back then."

"I've changed for the better."

"That's what you keep telling yourself, but I know different. You are one of us... one of the Blitzkrieg Boys. The most feared gang in the streets of Moscow. We had it all you know... we were at the top of chain at one stage, until you betrayed us." The amusement in Tala's voice had faded now, replaced by an icy tone. "We've just been released from the juvenile jail. It's been six years, Kai. Six fuckin' long years and you escaped it."

"You deserved it," Kai replied, in a tone just as cold as Tala's.

"You sold us out... your own friends... you told your grandfather about us and he threw us in jail. Of course, you escaped – you destroyed all evidence you were ever with us so we couldn't prove it." Tala's voice was rising in anger now. "I'm coming for you, Kai. You have something I want."

"How are you going to get here? You don't have a job and therefore you don't have money to fly yourself and your friends over here," Kai replied, smugly. "Besides... you're a criminal. They're not going to let you fly out."

Tala chuckled. "Boris has assured me that my friends and I will arrive without trouble."

What the fuck? Boris? "Why would Boris do that?"

"He thinks he can change us. So of course we told him we were eager to change and the stupid fool believed us. It's amazing how sucking up to a teacher can change one's fortunes. Anyway... you owe me money, Kai. A lot of cash."

"I don't owe you a cent."

"Your old man is gonna die soon – surely you'll inherit his large fortune?" Tala snickered.

Anger swept through him. "Don't talk about my grandfather like that!"

"Or what? He's old, Kai. His time is almost up. It's just the cycle of life."

"You're wrong. Voltaire has many more years left in him." Kai hoped Tala couldn't detect a lie through the phone.

His former friend snorted. "Voltaire thinks you're a saint, doesn't he? You never told him about your... activities."

"What happened in the past is over. I told you, I've changed for the better."

"You can never forget the past, Kai... it'll always come back to haunt you. See you next week! I expect my cash." Tala hung up on the phone, prompting Kai to throw his one down on his bed. His week couldn't get any worse. Voltaire dying and now Tala returning... he always knew final year would be tough, but not this tough.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Kai cursed, running a hand through his hair. Tala's arrival was not going to be a subtle one. Knowing the red head, he was bound to make a flashy entrance and ensure everyone knew Kai was not to be trusted. Such news would reach Voltaire soon enough and he'd demand answers from Kai that he was not willing to share. Not only would he have to deal with Voltaire, but he'd have to face his friends as well. Or more specifically, Tyson.

What would Tyson think? He was friends with someone he didn't even really know. His entire friendship with Kai was just a lie. Kai brought his head into his hands. He was a different person now, but how many people would believe that? He didn't exactly rank high on the 'most popular person at school' list. "I need to tell Tyson." And Voltaire as well at one point. Voltaire couldn't die without knowing the truth first.

Confiding in Tyson sounded like an easy task, but it was going to be a damn difficult one to complete. Tyson was the type of person who placed a lot of trust in his friends. He didn't consider his friends could betray him. He forgave people quickly, but he never forgot about the hurt they put him through. "I can't put him through that."

He needed to tell someone otherwise the guilt would drive him mad. He needed someone with a good reputation and a high social ranking to support him when the trouble started. But no one that high up would even bother talking to him. Closing himself off to most of the school population gave people the idea he didn't want to be bothered. He thought hard. A girl with brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes appeared in his mind. Hilary.

Perfect!

The teacher's pet! If he befriended her surely no one would think ill of him then when the truth came out? Hilary was admired and respected by the majority of the school population – her friendship would be invaluable. Starting a friendship with her would be easy as well – she _had _decided to speak to him first the other day. There was an obvious interest in him. "You think you can beat me, Tala... well, you're wrong. I'm not going to let you ruin everything for me."

.

After Matilda had finished gathering up all the chemistry notes, Brooklyn departed the park and made his way back home. After a long session of tutoring, he felt the urge to sit on the couch and watch some television. He didn't get far however when a pretty young girl approached him. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

For once, a girl didn't batter her eyelashes at him. This one looked angry. "I know what you are up to and it has to stop," she said, emerald eyes fixed on him as if he were prey.

Brooklyn lifted a brow. "I didn't know walking was dangerous."

"I'm not talking about walking."

"Who the hell are you?" Surely she didn't go to his school. He would've noticed an attractive girl immediately, and this girl certainly ranked high on the 'hot' list.

"Mariam."

"I haven't heard of Mariam around here."

"I'm sure you haven't heard of a lot of things," she retorted. She jerked her head in the direction Matilda had left. "You need to leave her alone. I know your type. Pick on an easy girl, win her over then dump her in a brutal fashion."

Brooklyn whistled. "Been on the receiving end of a lot of heartbreak have you? Sounds like you speak from experience."

Her gaze hardened. "You know nothing," she snarled.

"Did I hit a nerve?"

She stepped forward. "I'll say it again; leave Matilda alone. She deserves someone better."

"And why do you care so much? Why do you choose to reveal yourself now..." he asked dubiously. "Are you jealous? Don't worry... I'll get around to you eventually," he added, a teasing smile on his face. "You don't have to put on the ice queen act to intrigue me. Just say 'yes' and I'll be right over."

Mariam crossed her arms over her chest. "Lay one hand on Matilda and I swear your senior year at school will be over before you know it."

"I'm going to ask you again, why do you care so much about these people?"

"I could choose to explain my actions to you, but I'm not going to waste words on deaf ears," she retorted. "Matilda's a nice girl, and I don't want to see you break her heart."

"Why act now?"

"I needed to be sure, can't act without knowing what I'm up against it can I?"

With a sigh of irritation, Brooklyn shook his head, "I'm tutoring her in chemistry. Tell me... Mariam... is that such a crime?"

"I'll be watching you. Consider yourself warned, Brooklyn." She turned around, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder then strolled away. Brooklyn watched her leave, troubling thoughts racing through his mind. Mariam had a reason for acting this way – he suspected some guy had hurt her bad enough she wanted to protect other girls from experiencing the same pain. He was going to put an end to her meddlesome ways, but he needed information. It was time to have a chat with fellow housemate, Ming Ming. Surely, she could find something that was useful.

.

Share your thoughts with me – I really want to know. Did you like the twist with Tala? Do you like Mariam's involvement in the story? Why did Boris enrol Tala and his friends? And just what exactly happened to Mystel anyway? Let me know! Until next time... as always, reviews are much appreciated!

Spoilers for the upcoming chapters which will be out sooner than you think... guess what storylines these are for:

A character will have to learn to face the horrors of the past

Someone's impatience paves the way to a hellish ride

A character will have to decide where his priorities lie

Painful memories determine this character's view on life

Someone is going to be taken along for a ride

See you in the next chapter!


	18. The Past Comes Back to Haunt

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Rangerapprentice, Guest, SkyDragonKing, natasha13 and Omegaxis1 for reviewing the previous chapter! Thanks so much for your invaluable support : )

**.**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Past Comes Back to Haunt**

_Sunday_

How on earth was he going to tell Tyson about his shady past? Tyson wasn't the one for deep and meaningful conversations; he liked simple and fun ones instead. He glanced down at his phone, his fingers tapping the edges of it as he struggled to come to a decision. Tyson wasn't his only problem though – he needed to befriend Hilary without making it look desperate.

The girl _had _shown some interest in him, at least there was something to work with. Perhaps he could ask her out on a date somewhere? But where would she like to go? He hadn't traded many words with her and asking her out on a date without knowing her very well would look somewhat strange. Maybe creepy. Desperate. He had heard that desperation was a major turn off.

He stared at the computer screen. "How to ask a girl out on a date," he read aloud, as his fingers tapped at keyboard. "Desperate, much?" he asked himself, shaking his head. He couldn't believe he had sunk so low to ask Google for help on dating advice. Would Hilary notice if he used a tip from the internet? He needed it to sound genuine.

"Who knew dating could be so damn difficult?" Kai muttered, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on the back of his hand, "This is a lot of work." Voltaire wanted him to have someone though, it was the least he could do for his sick grandfather. "At least I have a good enough reason to go through with this..."

He couldn't do this on his own though. Dating advice was needed. But who should he ask? Certainly not Enrique. The boy claimed he was 'God's gift to women' but Kai had spotted him being dumped on the spot many times. He obviously wasn't as good as he thought he was. Rei seemed to know his way around females having been with one for three years, but he didn't really have any reason to speak with Rei at all.

He could talk to Hiro about it. Although he never spoke much with Hiro, the eldest Granger sibling always had good advice to share. But would Hiro tell Tyson? He felt his phone vibrate and immediately picked it up. Message from Tyson.

'_I need help with my homework'_

Kai snickered. _'Don't you always? I might have to start charging you by the hour... why don't you ask Hilary? Isn't she meant to be tutoring you?' _he texted back.

It wasn't long before his phone vibrated again. _'... Hilary and I have our differences, we just can't work together. She's too bossy.'_

'_Perhaps you drove her away?'_

Tyson wasn't so quick to reply this time, but his message came a few minutes later. _'I don't want to talk about Hilary.'_

Change of topic then. Asking Tyson to put his brother on the phone to talk about Hilary wasn't the best plan right now. Kai's fingers danced on the touch screen, pondering his next sentence. "Should I tell Tyson about Tala?" _'What would you do if you discovered that someone close to you once had a criminal background?' _A sick feeling developed in his stomach as he touched the letters.

'_I'd be pissed.'_

Kai wasn't surprised by that response. _'How come?'_

'_I'd feel like I was cheated on. Why are you asking?'_

Kai decided telling Tyson about Tala by text wasn't the best option. _'I just saw it on one of those soapies on television the other night' _he replied. Well, at least he knew how Tyson would react without having to deal with that reaction. He couldn't help but feel like a coward though.

'_I didn't think you were into soapies, but whatever floats your boat. Gramps likes them too, maybe you can discuss them together,' _came Tyson's reply. There was a smiley face after the 'together'. _'Speaking of gramps, he's coming into my room to check on me. Talk to ya later, Kai!' _

Kai turned his phone off.

There was always another day.

.

It had been awhile since Mariah had spent leisure time with Rei. When she was with him she felt secure. He knew what to say to make her feel better and he was always there when she needed a shoulder to cry on. But today Rei seemed strangely distant – as is something was bothering him. She looked at him, brows furrowed. "Are you alright, Rei?"

"Hm?" Rei asked, turning around to face her.

"You look distracted."

"Oh, I just didn't get much sleep last night that's all."

She frowned. "This was your idea; I thought you would be more enthusiastic about today."

"I'm sorry, Mariah." He kissed her on the cheek, then pulled back. "I've had a lot on my mind recently."

"Well, maybe you should talk to me about it then. The problems aren't going to go away if you keep them bottled inside," Mariah said, leaning back in her chair, watching Rei with a quizzical expression. He turned away again, his eyes moving to the entrance of the cafe. His eyes widened. "What is it?" She sat up straight, then glanced in the direction Rei was looking towards. Her eyes narrowed, as a red haired girl entered the cafe. "Salima."

"Probably getting something to eat," Rei replied, pulling his gaze away.

"She better not be looking for any trouble." Just her luck. Today was meant to be about herself and Rei, but Salima was here to ruin her morning. She wouldn't be surprised if Mystel randomly entered to spoil her day further.

"I need to talk to her about the art project," Rei said, rising from his chair.

Mariah placed a hand on his arm. "What's the hurry? You can talk to her about it later."

"It's urgent. It's what kept me up all last night."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Working with Salima on any project would keep me up all night as well... what a nightmare that would be." She released her grip. Rei smiled, then headed towards Salima. Mariah watched them from a distance. Rei wouldn't be too long – it was just a chat about business after all. But wait – was that a smile Rei was giving Salima? Mariah squinted. The two seemed to be getting on perfectly fine. All smiles, no frowns.

Mariam's warning came back to her. Was she hinting at a possible attraction Rei had towards Salima? No... that couldn't be. Rei had been her partner for three years and not once had he shown any interest in Salima. Could Mariam be wrong? But she was never wrong. She didn't lie – she didn't need a reason to. She bit her bottom lip. Salima lightly touched Rei's shoulder, then she turned around and walked away, seemingly quite pleased about something.

What had they discussed? And why did Salima look so happy? Even Rei had a smile on his face. A smile she hadn't seen him have in quite awhile. Mariam _had _to be wrong... she just _had _to be. Rei would never cheat on her... would he? No. Never. He was too loyal. He had morals. Right? Rei came back over and immediately she pounced on him. "Rei, are you interested in Salima?" she blurted out.

Rei sat down beside her, and shook his head. "No," he replied, almost in a joking manner. "What makes you think that?"

Was she wrong to assume the worst? Rei wasn't a cheater. _He wasn't. _"You and Salima were being rather friendly," she said, trying to conceal the hurt in her tone.

Rei gave her an assuring look. "I would never be interested in a girl like that. I can't afford to not be on good terms with her – we are working on an important assignment together worth a lot," he explained, then turned his gaze on the menu.

"Salima has always been interested in you."

She had to know.

Otherwise it would drive her mad.

Her boyfriend sighed. "And I'm not interested in her, alright? Can we just drop this topic?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him imploringly, "That conversation you had with her looked a little more than 'business'." She was aware that she was sounding like a jealous girlfriend, but she couldn't lose Rei. That would break her. They were destined for each other! They were _born _for each other! Childhood friends marrying each other, it was every girl's dream.

For the first time, Rei actually looked annoyed being in her presence. It was a stark contrast to his mood the other day when he actually seemed to be happy around her. Was that just an act? Dammit Mariam, Mariah thought bitterly. Why did you have to tell me this? Now the doubt wouldn't leave her alone.

"Just drop it, Mariah."

And so she did.

.

Weekends were so boring.

He wanted someone to tease. Like Mariah for example. Watching her face scrunch up in anger was a pure delight to see. He had never seen anyone get so worked up by a few short lines. He couldn't wait for the school week to start again so he could have another crack at her. Salima was making little progress from what he could tell. He needed to speed up the process just a little... surely, that wouldn't do any harm? Mariah was quick to anger and he planned to use that to his advantage.

His plan was to ask her out on a date.

It wasn't going to work on the first attempt, but if he kept on asking, she'd give in eventually. Or at least that's what he presumed. He was also going to drop in subtle hints that Rei had the hots for another girl. Smirking at his brilliant plan, Mystel was oblivious to an annoyed Brooklyn entering the living room. "What are you so happy about?" Brooklyn snapped.

"What's gotten up your arse?" Mystel retorted, lying down on the couch.

"It's none of your concern."

Mystel raised an eyebrow. "What? Did Matilda reject you?"

Brooklyn turned around, and spoke through clenched teeth, "No... she's not the problem. She's into me."

"Then why the grumpy face?"

"Have you heard of a girl called Mariam?"

Mystel shook his head, sitting upright on the couch. "Nope, who is that?"

Brooklyn walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed a chocolate Hershey bar then walked back to join Mystel in the lounge. "She's a bitch. Some feminist probably." The ginger boy sat down next to the blond and opened his chocolate.

"So, what's the problem?" Brooklyn didn't reply. "Why don't you just use your so-called charms and bed the bitch then?" Mystel inquired, giving Brooklyn a questioning look.

That caught his attention. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"You're being a grouch."

"Sex doesn't solve everything."

Whatever this chick Mariam had said to Brooklyn had really worked him up. Things were beginning to look up after all. For him at least anyway. "Oh well, that's too bad for you. Looks like I'll be winning that bet after all." Mystel's smirk widened, while Brooklyn glared.

"Things may look well for you now, but as we all know... things never quite work the way you want them to. Mariah's never going to like you – no one else did, so why would she be any different?" Brooklyn retorted.

"You're wrong."

Brooklyn shook his head. "I'm never wrong."

"There's a first for everything."

Brooklyn's mood seemed to be improving and that was worrying for Mystel. Did Brooklyn plan to interfere in his goal to win Mariah? "Don't interfere."

"Do whatever it takes to win, right?" the ginger replied.

There was no point in replying, so Mystel made for the door and left. Brooklyn was so sure of himself; it made him even more eager to wipe that damned smirk of his stupid face. Whatever it took to win. He was right about that. Distracted by his thoughts, Mystel wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He soon found himself at the local playground where a group of young kids were chasing each other around in circles.

Amused by their childish antics, he observed them for a few moments when a loud voice brought his attention elsewhere. He followed the voice and spotted a redhead guy and girl standing under a tree.

"I'll give you money if you do my homework, alright?" the redhead male asked, holding the girl's textbook in her face.

The girl, who Mystel realized was actually Hilary, tried to snatch her textbook but failed. "Just give it back, Johnny!"

"Do my homework and I'll hand it over."

Mystel stood near the tree watching the two teenagers argue. He hadn't seen Johnny before, but judging by his ragged appearance he was glad he hadn't. The boy wore a dirty bandana, and his clothes were in no better shape. A wannabe tough guy. Once again Johnny moved out of the way, chuckling as he did. "If you don't give me back my textbook, I'll tell Robert."

"Robert doesn't give a shit. He's too preoccupied with that lame ass fashion show run by your friend, Julia."

"Julia's idea is not lame."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "Yes, it is. She doesn't have any idea about fashion herself, yet thinks she can run it?" he snorted.

"She's far more fashionable than you, Johnny," Hilary shot back.

Johnny continued to pester Hilary until Mystel decided to intervene. He didn't hold Hilary in high regard; hell, he didn't even care about her, but guys bullying girls in such a manner wasn't right. Teasing was fine; but not bullying. "Hey, leave her alone!" Mystel called out.

"Is this your girlfriend, pretty boy?" Johnny replied, jerking his head in Mystel's direction.

Mystel glanced briefly in Hilary's direction, looked her up and down then shook his head. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she just wasn't his type of girl. Definitely not as well endowed as Mariah. "No, she's not."

"So why do you care?"

Good question. "She's never going to do your homework if you keep harassing her like that," Mystel pointed out.

"If I keep harassing her she'll give in."

That was exactly the same thought Mystel had in regards to Mariah. "Different situation," he mumbled. "Look, just give her the book back, alright?"

Johnny's attention was now fully focused on Mystel. The guy was built... well built. Mystel was beginning to wonder if this was a foolish idea after all. "I'm on good terms with the new principal... you don't want to cross him." Which wasn't too far from the truth; Boris could turn nasty if the situation called for it.

The redhead ruffian seemed to take Mystel's words into consideration because he handed the textbook back to Hilary. "Don't think this is over... you better watch your back, blondie," he spat, then turned away, hands into his pockets.

"I didn't need your help," Hilary said, taking the textbook under her arms. Mystel noticed _'Romeo and Juliet'_ written on the cover. What a sap, he thought. Love didn't exist. 'Love' was just about fucking around with whomever. The words, 'I Love You' were equal to that of a steaming pile of dog shit resting at the front door. Only needy sensitive people said crap like that.

Mystel crossed his arms over his chest and snorted, "Sure... it really looked like you had that under control."

"If you're looking for a reward, then look the other way. You're not getting into my pants if that's what you want," she spat.

Mystel whistled. "Don't worry, you're not my type."

"Good – because you're not mine either."

Silence.

Then...

"You've made yourself an enemy by the way, Johnny's not going to take this easily," she said, brushing a stray piece of hair away from her eyes.

He wasn't scared of Johnny. If Johnny hit him, he'd simply call for Garland. Information about the brute wouldn't do any harm though. "What do you know about him?"

"He's one of those rich spoilt kids, but he doesn't behave like one. He solves things with his fists and if he can't, he'll find someone who can," the girl explained. "He's really stupid; he has all the money in the world but he can't buy brains and I think that's what makes him so angry. The only thing he's good at is any form of contact sport. He's the rugby captain."

A stupid jock then. Nothing to be fearful of at all. "Johnny is the least of my concerns."

Hilary turned around, preparing to leave. "I should probably head off," she said, looking over her shoulder, "don't take this 'meeting' as the beginning of a new friendship." After that, she left without looking back.

"That's the thanks I get? Why did I even bother..." he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He looked around and noticed the kids at the playground were gone except for a lone male. He was dressed in blue overalls, which matched his sky blue eyes. The kid was sitting on the bottom of the slide, drawing pictures in the sand with his fingers. Mystel considered keeping the kid company, but changed that thought when a woman came storming towards the kid.

The kid glanced up, eyes wide then stood up immediately. He glared at the woman, then ran up the slide as if trying to escape. "Timothy! Get the fuck back down here you little shit!" the woman screamed, throwing aside a cigarette onto the ground.

Timothy stood at the top of the slide and glared at his mother. "I'm not going!"

The woman, who shared Timothy's looks, raised a hand and pointed a finger at her son, "I don't enjoy looking after you, but if something happens to you then the bloody police will be on my back. So get down here immediately or you will be punished severely," she hissed, stamping on the cigarette and pressing it deeper into the earth.

Tightening his jaw, Mystel remained in his place watching the scene unfold before him. He was reminded of his own mother briefly and felt a rare feeling of sympathy for the kid. Unloved. Broken. Treated as if he were a mistake. There was nothing he could do but watch in silence.

Timothy turned around, then met Mystel's gaze. The kid seemed to mouth the words, 'sorry' before sliding down the slide. His mother grabbed the kid by the arm and jerked him roughly aside, striking him in the face leaving a burning red mark on left cheekbone. "I wish you had been aborted; you've been nothing but a burden to your father and I," she snapped, then led Timothy away.

.

The drama begins to heat up! Mariah is getting closer to the truth, and Mystel has just made his first major enemy. Kai just blew his chance to tell Tyson – now they're both keeping secrets from each other. In the next chapter, all hell breaks loose! About time, I say. The next five to six (or maybe more) chapters will be pretty full on.

In regards to the Timothy scene, I've actually seen this happen in real life. It was very sad. You'll be seeing more of Timothy in future chapters as well as some flashbacks. It's important to the plot so if you're finding it boring, please bear with me.

Anyways, reviews are much appreciated! I aim to get the next chapter out sometime mid next week.


	19. Do Me A Favour

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.**  
**

**Special Thanks**

And I'm back hurray! My laptop has been acting up in the past few weeks so I didn't get any writing done. But fortunately, it's functioning like it should be now after I had to reformat it. Thanks to James Birdsong, Rangerapprentice, Omegaxis1, SkyDragonKing and guest for reviewing the last chapter.

Also, thanks for your patience – I know the wait between chapters is a long wait, but I hope they're worth it. Enjoy the longest chapter of 'Nothing After All' thus far!

.

**Chapter Nineteen: Do Me A Favour**

_Monday morning, before class_

Ever since meeting with Mariam, thoughts of the royal blue haired girl had refused to leave his mind. He was supposed to be focusing his efforts on Matilda, but Mariam intrigued him. And annoyed him of course, but he wanted to know what secrets she was hiding so he could break her. Ming Ming was a bitch. Bitches knew other bitches so she would know a way to shut down Mariam. Or at least that's what Brooklyn assumed.

"Ming Ming, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, leaning against the said girl's locker.

"What do you want, Brooklyn?"

"It pains me to say this," he started, moving forward away from the locker, "but I need your help."

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'm _honoured_. What can I do to please the great one?"

"I need information about a girl."

"Matilda?"

Brooklyn shook his head. "No, Mariam."

Ming Ming lifted a brow. "Mariam? I didn't think you liked that type."

"I'm not interested in her in a sexual manner if that's what you are suggesting. I want to know why she interferes with the lives of other people around her. She seems to dislike males for some reason."

"Can't say I blame her. The guys I know are all jerks."

Brooklyn forced a smile. "That's sweet, Ming Ming."

"Why are you asking me?"

"You're a bitch. All the girls I ever knew that were bitches always seemed to know about the other major players in town, so I figured you would know someone I can ask."

"That made no sense at all." She tried to push past him to reach her locker, but he refused to budge. "If I do this for you, you have to do something for me in return."

He frowned. "And what would that be?"

"Get me a passing grade in chemistry." She shoved a notebook into his chest.

"Deal."

"You need to speak to Queen. She's hard to miss; pale girl with black hair and always surrounded by stupid fakes and whores. That's all I know." She managed to move him out of the way. "Good luck Brooklyn."

Ming Ming wasn't going to utter another word, so Brooklyn walked away. He looked left and right, scanning his surroundings searching for a girl that fit Ming Ming's description. There was only one problem; there were lots of girls that fit the description and they were all in groups. Why did girls always walk together in little groups anyway?

"This is going to take forever," he muttered.

He glanced down at the time. Still an hour to go before the second class began. Thank god for early morning spares. There was time to head down to the shops and get a good breakfast. Perhaps he might find Queen there.

.

"I never thought you liked soap operas, Kai," Tyson started, as the two boys walked down through the crowded hallways towards their lockers.

Kai shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the path ahead. "They are pretty addictive... and they're relatable."

Tyson snorted. "Relatable? You're telling me you have four kids and your wife is secretly a murderer?"

Rolling his eyes, Kai gave his friend a sideways look, "Okay, maybe not _completely_relatable but some of the issues that happen in these shows happen in real life too. Like high school based ones for example; that's a stage we can relate to."

"Whatever floats your boat. You'll never find me watching a soap opera though," he replied, sticking a finger down his throat. He made some gagging noises to exaggerate his disgust, then shot Kai a smirk. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."

They continued to walk through the hallways navigating their way through groups of students. It was always chaos at recess – everyone always made a mad rush to the lockers after morning class sessions had ended. "Kai!" Kai snapped his head over his shoulder, thinking he heard someone call his name. But no one stopped to even glance at him. Perhaps he was imagining things. He turned around. "Kai!" There was that voice again!

This time Kai did stop. "Why are we stopping? This isn't our locker room, Kai," Tyson said, also coming to an abrupt halt.

"I heard my name." He looked around examining his surroundings. A group of nearby girls caught his eye and giggled, then looked away. Kai frowned. He was most likely the topic of their discussion. Silly girls. He hated being looked at like that... like he was chocolate on legs.

"Kai Hiwatari!"

He jerked his head to the right.

Hair as bright as a flame in the shape of horns caught his eyes. He wanted to scream, but that would only cause a scene. So he pretended he hadn't heard or seen anything at all. "I thought I heard something but I was just imagining things." Tala! Was here! Right now! His brain panicked but somehow his face remained calm. "We should probably move quickly though, don't want to be last in line at the cafeteria."

Tyson couldn't argue with that. He started talking about his favourite foods at the cafeteria, while Kai focused his attention on getting away from Tala as quick as possible. If Tala confronted him... there was no telling what the maniac would do. His goons were probably around as well keeping an eye out for him. Unfortunately, Kai stood out from the crowd. The blue fins on his face were hard to ignore.

Suddenly, he felt a strong hand grip his arm. "Hey, watch it!" snapped Kai, turning to the speaker. He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth.

"I need to have a word with you, Kai."

Kai was well aware that all students in the hall had stopped to watch. He wanted to scream at them, tell the nosy bastards to get on with their own business but he didn't have the courage. "Tala."

"Who is this chump, Kai?" Tyson asked, standing at Kai's side watching Tala with dislike. "He's new isn't he?"

"He certainly is," Kai said slowly.

Tala turned to face Tyson, eyeing the shorter boy up and down. "I would like to talk to Kai alone if you don't mind."

Tyson shook his head. "How do you know Kai and why haven't I seen you around before?"

The smirk on Tala's face was worrying to Kai and the look in those cold blue eyes were anything but friendly. "My father used to be in business with Kai's grandfather quite some time ago. He wanted me to talk to Kai so he could pass a message onto Voltaire."

Tyson frowned. "Why can't he do that himself?"

"I offered. Save my father the trouble of it all. So... I please talk to him in private? It's business." Tyson glanced at Kai.

Kai nodded. "It's alright, Tyson. I'll catch up with you later." Tyson noddded, started to walk away after giving Kai one last curious glance. The other students followed Tyson leaving Kai alone with Tala. "What a tale that was."

"I saved your ass didn't I? Just the old days, right?" Tala replied, arms crossed over his chest.

"You don't even have a father, he died behind bars."

Tala simply shrugged. "Yeah, good riddance right? But they don't need to know that, do they? You and I need to discuss... business, Kai." He placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, forced him to turn around then pointed to a nearby room. "The rest of the guys are in there."

"The janitor's room?"

"Yeah." Before Kai could speak, Tala led him into the room. Faces Kai hadn't seen in years were present before him now. Cold penetrating gazes. Sly smirks. "Here he is, the great Kai!" Tala declared, throwing his hands in Kai's direction, announcing him as if he were the winner of a great prize.

"You look different, Kai," a grey haired male said, raising a hand to his hooked nose to scratch an itch.

A tall muscular blonde leaning against a far wall grinned, "Yeah... he looks... soft now. What has this school done to you Kai? Are you turning into some pansy?" He exchanged high-fives with the grey haired male. "Come on Kai, why the sad face? Aren't you happy to be with us again?"

"Shut it, Spencer!" Tala snapped. The blond fell silent mumbling to himself. "I'm assuming you don't have the money on you?" the red head asked, fixing his attention on Kai. "It's alright, I'm not angry."

Kai sighed. "No, I don't."

"I'm going to give you a month to get me the cash you owe me."

"I told you before I don't own you a cent." Kai stood up and tried to walk away, but Spencer immediately rushed to block his path. "How do you expect me to pay you back if I don't have a job?" He turned around, glaring at Tala.

"You don't need a job. Your grandfather has ensured you will have enough to last a couple of lifetimes. Isn't that right, Bryan?" Tala asked, turning to face the hooked nose male.

Bryan nodded. "Yeah. We want our share."

Kai tightened his jaw, feeling anger bubble within. "How do you propose I get this money of yours? I can't exactly go down to the bank and withdraw a lot of cash," he replied, sounding more sarcastic than he intended. "Because I can't – Voltaire controls my bank account. He only gives me money if it's school-related."

Tala's eyes narrowed. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it down on the table causing it to shake. "So you're broke?!"

"Pretty much."

Bringing both hands to his head, Tala paced back and forth muttering curses. "You need to get me that money, Kai."

"But I can't, I just told you that."

Tala stopped then pointed a finger at Kai's face. "Make a choice, Kai. If you don't give me the cash, then I'll tell everyone about your criminal past. I'm sure your grandfather will be delighted to hear his beloved grandson is a liar." His smirk reappeared. "That gives me a brilliant plan."

"What plan?" Kai replied coldly.

"You convince your grandfather you need a large amount of money to pay for school related stuff."

"He'll never believe it without proof."

Tala rolled his eyes. "He's dying, Kai. Shouldn't be too hard to convince a dying man to hand over the key to his vault to his grandson." He nudged Kai hard in the ribs. "Use that old Hiwatari charm. It did you well, got you to places... got you _inside_as well if you know what I mean," he winked.

"That's all in the past, Tala." He desperately wanted to forget his past, hell, he thought he had, but Tala's reappearance was beginning to bring back those thoughts he had locked away. The things he did, the words he spoke... the people he hurt... Leaving Russia was supposed to be a new life. A fresh start.

"Remember that girl you had a thing with?"

"We were never together, Tala." That was something he had tried to forget. Moving here he never worried about girls. Never dated anyone. Never asked anyone out even. But in Russia, he was a completely different person. A person he hated. A person he wished wasn't a part of him.

"She really liked you... liked you inside her of course," Tala said laughing.

Bryan and Spencer joined in while Kai gritted his teeth. "That was a one-off!" He was a changed man now. He couldn't change the past, but he could move on from it. "And I only did it to distract her while you guys broke into her house," he retorted.

"Settle down, Kai. Don't want to alert the teachers do we?"

"I'll do what I can to get you the money, alright?" Kai snapped.

Tala patted Kai on the shoulder. "That's a good boy."

"What are you going to do with it anyway?"

"You'll find out... when you get me the money," came Tala's simple reply. Kai held back curses then stormed out of the room, hands dug deep into his pockets. The past he had so desperately tried to escape from was coming back to him and he feared he would become that monster again.

.

Some people deserved to die. It was plain and simple, no deeper thought was required. Rotten parents were on this list. Sometimes it was hard to believe that parents could treat their own flesh and blood as pieces of filth, but it happened more often than people liked to believe. Parents treating their own children as slaves or as nuisances were just as bad as parents that had children just to get money from the government so they could purchase that flashy television instead of caring for their child.

The scene at the playground involving the kid Timothy replayed in his mind over and over again. No matter how hard he tried to focus his mind on something else, Timothy would appear and the cycle would begin again. It made him angry. Anger wasn't an emotion Mystel often experienced, at least not as passionately as this. Perhaps it was because he could relate.

"I wonder where they are now?" he mumbled, as he made his way to the school entrance. Curse Boris for not driving them to the school and curse him for stopping them from catching the bus. Boris wanted them to walk for exercise. Fortunately, their home wasn't too far away from the school otherwise he'd be starting riot. "At least Boris is a better 'parent' than they ever were."

At the age of six his parents decided to drop him off at a foster care home. At the age of ten he was introduced to Boris who wanted to adopt him. It was quite surprising – why did Boris pick of him out of all the other children there? For six long years he had to endure constant verbal abuse from his parents. A one night-stand that went terribly wrong. Those years had allowed him to build up an invisible emotional wall. He figured if no one gave a damn about him, he'd stop caring about other people as well.

But instead of taking the lone wolf route, Mystel decided to take on the 'player' route instead. Life was far more interesting this way. He got what he wanted when he needed it and that's all that mattered. He didn't want to carry that emotional luggage relationships had. He really didn't see the point in being committed to one person when there were so many single females walking around.

If he managed to succeed in winning over Mariah what would she expect of him? Would she expect him to stay with her for a few good long years like she has with Rei? That thought irked him. "It's not like I'm planning on sticking with her for more than a week anyway," he said aloud not caring he was talking to himself. Then, "What-the-fuck?" he said, as he toppled face first into the grass.

"I told you to watch your back," the voice sneered.

Johnny.

Who else would it be?

He sure was heavy that much was certain.

"What do you want?" he spat.

"I don't like it when people fuck with my business," Johnny whispered. Mystel suddenly felt a sharp stab of pain in his right shoulder. Hilary's words about making an enemy out of Johnny came back to him. He cursed his luck. "I got a week in shitty detention because I failed to hand in my homework."

Mystel almost laughed. "Is that what you're so mad about? Maybe you should do your own homework... oh wait, you're an idiot." Another sharp stabbing pain burst in his shoulder. Spoke too soon, he thought bitterly. "Would you mind getting off me?"

"Are you implying that I'm fat?"

What an ass. "You are heavy."

As if to irritate him further, Johnny moved placing his full weight on the poor blond. "How's that?"

"I need to get to class... like you." He really needed to tell Boris or Garland about this clown.

"Planning on running to one of your friends for help? Sorry blondie, but that ain't going to happen. What happens outside school boundaries is of no concern to the staff," Johnny said. Mystel could imagine a giant smirk on Johnny's ugly mug. He did raise a fair point though. Boris had no control and Garland would probably think he deserved it.

"You're going to make me late." Not that he cared, it was only maths anyway. He hated that subject.

Johnny leaned down, bringing his mouth close to his ear. "Fuck with me again and I swear you are going to regret the day you were ever born. Keep your fuckin' mouth shut or I'll disfigure that pretty face of yours for good," he added, grabbing a clump of blond hair. Mystel didn't like the sound of that. How was he going to impress the girls without his good looks? The tone of Johnny's voice and chosen words also struck him as odd. Again Johnny referred to him as 'pretty' – do I look like a girl? Mystel thought horrified.

"Alright, alright you have a deal. I'll keep quiet." Thankfully, Johnny rolled off him allowing Mystel to stand up. He picked himself up from the ground, dusted the dirt of his uniform and glared at Johnny. "Assfucker."

Johnny's eyes narrowed almost into slits. "Never call me that again." He balled his fingers into a fist, and brought it forward striking Mystel in the stomach. He cursed, wrapped his arms around his stomach and remained still while Johnny ran away in the direction of the school gates. He could hear the bells ringing signalling the start of the first class.

Fucking hell.

.

Standing in Queen's presence was unlike standing before any other girl. She didn't gush at the sight of him, didn't lower or avert her gaze nor did she twirl a lock of hair around a finger. She simply stared at him, expressionless. That made him uncomfortable. "So, you're the one they call Queen." It hadn't been too difficult to find her. He was on his way to the cafeteria to get his usual, when he spotted a dark haired girl surrounded by a group of fakes. Exactly how Ming Ming described.

"Indeed," she said, sounding bored. "Why have you sought me out?"

"I need a favour." Now he found himself within her base which was really just an old antique shop. An abandoned one. Getting past her friends proved to be difficult though but fortunately Queen stepped out to personally greet him then invited him inside. It wasn't exactly a cosy place – it was dim and smelt of fish strangely. The only furniture in the room was a round glass table and two matching chairs, a stark contrast to the grey depressing walls. "I need information about Mariam."

Queen's eyes seem to light up at the mention of Mariam. She stood up from the chair and stepped closer. "Mariam? I know all there is to know about her... but why do you care?" She tilted her head to the left eyeing him.

"Curious, that's all."

Queen didn't reply; instead, she moved even closer towards him. Now she was just an arm's length away. Dark eyes looked into his own. Thoughtful. Curious. She laid a hand on his arm and gripped it tightly, then pulled herself into his personal circle. She was almost as tall as himself, only a head shorter in fact. "You're not a bad looking guy."

Brooklyn had to smile that. "I get that a lot."

"I'm sure you do..." She stroked his arm tenderly, while keeping her eyes locked on his own. "I can tell you all about Mariam if you do something for me." The corners of her mouth curved upwards, as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip.

Brooklyn lifted a hand and brought it to the back of his neck, pretending to scratch an itch. "You like making deals?"

"Only if I think it's worth it."

"So, what do you want? I can get you an A+ on any assignment."

She threw her head back and laughed, one which sent shivers down Brooklyn's spine. "I'm not concerned about grades... I'm interested in you. I've been watching you and your friends. I've seen how you interact with other students. I've seen you spending time with that girl Matilda, and I wonder why a guy such as yourself would do such a thing. Such a mystery."

He could now feel her hot breath brushing up against his skin. "What can I give you then? Money?"

She shook her head. "You think I'm interested in money? Think again, Einstein. I run a... business here. Do you know anything about me?"

Ming Ming hadn't mentioned any specifics about Queen. He shook his head. "Nope."

"Let me enlighten you then, sit," she said, pulling away from Brooklyn. She pointed to the chair she was previously sitting on. He sat down. "Students outside my group call me the Queen of gossip. Queen of lies. But I like to think I'm more like a female version of Cupid. I set up dates between people and in return I get money."

"You're running your own dating agency?" A dry laugh escaped his throat.

"I make people happy. Surely, that's not a crime?"

Brooklyn ceased his laughter. "I can see why you turned my offer for cash down then."

Queen sat down in the chair opposite to him, then leaned over the table low enough to allow Brooklyn a good view down her top. Naturally, his eyes were automatically drawn to the spot beneath her neck, but he glanced back up just as quickly meeting her eyes. "I haven't failed. Seems I have a natural gift when it comes to creating love."

"What does this have to do with Mariam?"

She pulled back and Brooklyn felt slight disappointment. He wasn't a pervert like Mystel; but he was a teenage male after all and if a girl flashed some skin, he was going to look. Or take a peek at least. But it wasn't as if he was going to go home with an image of the girl in his mind and dream up bizarre sexual fantasies. He had more self-control than that. "It has everything to do with Mariam. Why, she was the one who gave me the idea in the first place... without knowing it of course."

"What do you know?"

"My lips are sealed until you accept my offer."

"What offer?"

She reached a hand under the table and laid it on his lap. "You spend an evening with me."

Brooklyn almost fell off his chair in shock. "What?"

Queen withdrew her hand. "You heard me."

Become a cheap male whore like her followers? He would never stoop so low. As corny as it was, sex had to be special. For him at least. He had to be the one in control. "That's not going to happen."

"Then you don't get the dirt on Mariam." Queen leaned back in her chair, smug grin on her face. "Consider your options carefully, Brooklyn... I never make the same offer twice." She stood up from the chair and pointed to the door. "Give me a call or send me a text when you've made up your mind... you have until the end of the school day." With her right hand, she reached down her top and pulled out a small piece of paper then handed it over to Brooklyn. "Remember, you have until the end of the school day otherwise the deal is off and you'll never know anything about Mariam. Good day to you."

Placing Queen's number in his pocket, Brooklyn headed out the door and back out into the streets. A few days ago he was here having a meal with Matilda and now he was back, outside school grounds during school hours, inside Queen's home base discussing sex. The bet with Mystel was about getting a girl. He had chosen Matilda and the girl was already beginning to fall for him. Things were progressing fine until Mariam made her appearance though; she had made things complicated and now he wasn't quite sure where to go from here.

There were several options he could take.

He could-

Accept Queen's offer and do the deed with her and risk being lied to about Mariam and feel disgusted.

Accept Queen's offer and do the deed with her and receive the truth about Mariam and feel disgusted.

Refuse altogether and find information another way.

Taking the first two options would hurt Matilda if she ever found out. And losing her would mean losing the bet which would make Mystel the winner by default... unless Mystel managed to somehow lose Mariah before him. The latter was more likely. He arched his neck back and sighed. "I have to make a decision soon," he muttered. "What's it going to be?"

.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it. This chapter was inspired by the song title, 'Do Me A Favor' by Stone Sour. Anyway, this chapter was all about making choices. Will Kai go ahead and betray the people he loves most or will he come to his senses and confess? Will Brooklyn go ahead and play Queen's game? And just what sort of trouble will Mystel get himself into in future chapters? You'll find out more in the next dramatic chapter of 'Nothing After All'.

As always, reviews are very much appreciated.

So what's in store for the next chapter? Fights, tears and truths. See you in the next chapter!


	20. No Going Back

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to SkyDragonKing and Rangerapprentice for being the only two people to review the last chapter. Glad you both liked it; I hope you find this one just as enjoyable as well.

**.**

**Chapter Twenty: No Going Back**

_Tuesday, in between classes midday_

Tears were running down her face. She tried desperately to stop them from flowing, but nothing worked. Focusing her mind on happier thoughts worked temporarily, then her thoughts turned back to the cause behind her tears. Rei. For the first time in their relationship, Mariah had fought with him. "Don't lie to me, Rei!" Mariah called, trying to control her sobs.

The expression on Rei's face was unlike one she had seen on him before. His dark eyes were narrowed into slits, and his lips were pressed together tightly. A brief moment silence passed until Rei replied, "I have been loyal to you for three years, Mariah! If I was interested in Salima, don't you think I would've made a move?" he retorted, his tone ice cold.

Mariah felt a wave of coldness overcome her. Had she been wrong to misjudge Rei so harshly? Three years. They had been together for three friggen years and not once had he cast eyes in another girl's direction. But the damage had already been done. "I know, Rei." She took in a deep breath to calm herself. "But I don't believe you. I wish I could, but I saw how happy you were talking to Salima the other day."

"What? So it's a crime to talk to another female now? Why don't I just berate you for talking to other guys?" he replied, in a voice she didn't think Rei was even capable of speaking in. "I know you've been talking to that blond guy, Mystel."

She placed her hands on her hips, and glared, "If you think I'm interested in him then you're wrong," she spat, then softened her tone. This was getting them nowhere. "You're the only guy I've ever truly loved Rei," she added, wiping tears away from her eyes.

Rei's posture seemed to soften. "I'm sorry, Mariah. I didn't mean to make you feel upset. It's just... I don't like the way you are accusing me. We've been together for three years, surely I've earnt your trust?" he asked, walking toward her to wrap his arms around her waist. He brought her closer to himself, while she leaned her head against his chest, sobbing. "I'm so sorry."

This was the Rei she fell in love with; the sensitive, kind and caring man who always knew how to make her happy. "And I'm sorry for accusing you... it's just... it's Salima and I don't trust her." She felt like a fool for mentioning Salima's name again, but the red haired girl's face would not leave her mind. "I love you, Rei and nothing is ever going to change that," she added, glancing up into his dark eyes.

He planted a kiss on her lips, and hugged her tight. "I swear to you, I will never betray your trust. You mean the world to me, Mariah, and I would be a fool to let that go." He drew back from her, withdrawing his arms from her waist. "Can we put this behind us?"

She pressed her lips together, contemplating her next train of thought. Mentioning Salima would only cause tension to arise between them again. It was best for the moment to remain silent. Rei was loyal. Rei was kind. He would not betray her. He would never do anything to hurt her. He was a good man. "Of course."

For the first time that day, he smiled at her. "That's good to know. I have to go to class – I'll talk to you later, Mariah."

She too also had an important meeting to attend to. She said her farewells then headed to the newspaper meeting room, and hoped it wasn't obvious she had been upset.

.

Mystel was already lounging in his chair when Mariah entered the room. He almost fell off his chair in shock when she arrived. She really didn't look like herself. Her face was red, and her eyes looked almost swollen. Had she been crying? Not that he cared or anything; he was just curious. Perhaps Mariah had learned of Salima? "Look who has decided to show up," he said, bringing his hands behind his head.

To his left, Alyssa laughed. "You look terrible, Mariah."

"Yeah, looks like she had a rough night," Mystel commented, earning a chuckle from the other girls present in the group. Instead of reacting to him, Mariah simply sat in the last remaining chair, the complete opposite to Mystel. "What took you so long, anyway? We were going to start making plans without you."

"You can't make plans without me, I'm the leader of this group," Mariah retorted, moving a stray band of pink hair away from her face.

Mystel shrugged, "Alright, what have you got planned then?" Mariah was silent and Mystel knew she hadn't come up with any ideas. "You're not making a good example of a fine leader, Mariah." He cast a sideways glance at Alyssa, and sighed. "I think we should tell Boris Mariah is slacking in her duties."

Alyssa giggled again, twirling a lock of hair around a finger. "That would be a great idea. I mean, with Mariah in charge, we're never going to get anything done. She looks like she's hungover or something."

"I had personal business to take care of," Mariah said, tidying up her hair, "but I'm here now. The end of semester paper is due in two months, and I have the perfect idea. My friend, Julia is hosting a fashion show. I think it would be a great idea to focus on it and bring more attention to events run outside the school, rather than focusing on our sport teams like we have done every other year."

"Does that mean we have to attend her lame fashion show?" Alyssa said, crossing one leg over the other. She gave Mystel a saddened, desperate look, "You'll keep me company, won't you?" she asked, giving him a puppy-eyed look.

He grinned. "I'm not sure if Mariah would allow it; she's the one in charge here." He turned to face Mariah.

"I am not pairing you two together. You'll be coming with me, Mystel because I don't you on your own. The other girls have already proven to me they can work when pushed," Mariah said sternly.

Mystel pretended to be disappointed. "Oh, what a shame. I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with Alyssa."

Mariah rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."

"Jealous, Mariah?" Alyssa replied snidely, batting her eyelashes at the leader.

"I have nothing to be jealous of," Mariah replied stiffly.

Mystel noticed the smile on Alyssa's face widen. The girl sat back in her chair, a smug look on her face. "Not even of... Salima? I hear she's getting pretty comfortable with Rei. Thought I spotted a spark between them the other day in art class." She uncrossed her legs, flattening her skirt. "I guess he's bound to get sick of you someday. You're such a stick in the mud."

Instead of joining in the conversation, Mystel observed Mariah's expressions. Something about her seemed off. Had he been right to assume she had been crying? "My relationship with Rei is none of your concern."

"Touchy, touchy," Alyssa replied.

"Leave it, Alyssa," Mystel said.

Alyssa lifted a brow, "You're defending her?"

"Mariah's personal life isn't our concern," he said, keeping his eyes trained on her face. The girl looked nervous. Something about Alyssa's comment had struck a nerve. Perhaps Mariah was aware that Salima was trying to break them apart? If so, that could mean trouble for him. Mariah seemed like a smart girl – she'd probably find out somehow Mystel was involved in all of this. He wasn't quite prepared to face her wrath. "I think we should just focus on getting this newspaper thing done."

"For once, we agree," Mariah replied.

Alyssa mumbled, but dropped the taunts. Once discussion about Mariah's personal life had ended, the small group discussed ideas for the paper. Mariah had allocated them each a specific role and Mystel was happy to see he was to attend the fashion show with Mariah. Thirty minutes flew by and before Mystel knew it, the meeting was over. The other students left, leaving Mystel alone with Mariah. "That turned out pretty well," he commented.

Mariah looked him square in the eye. "I don't know what you think you're playing at, but it has to stop."

Mystel frowned. "Cheer up, Mariah. Alyssa meant no harm, she was just fooling around," the blond replied, trying to keep the mood from being so serious.

She snorted, glanced to her left, then back to him. "This is all just a big joke to you, isn't it? Make fun of Mariah until she finally snaps." She forced a dry laugh, "I don't know how you sleep at night."

Mystel considered replying back with a smart ass comment but decided against it. Now was not the time to share funny jokes. "I was doing you a favour."

"What? You think I can't defend myself against Alyssa?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I-"

She cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. You and your friends might think you're incredibly special, but you're not. You're just sad, lonely people getting off on making other people's lives miserable so you feel better." She brought her face close to his, but something told him she wasn't looking for a quick peck on the cheek. "Rei and I are perfectly fine, and nothing is ever going to break that bond."

"I didn't say anything about you and Rei; I don't think you're thinking straight, Mariah," Mystel replied, feeling slightly confused about this entire situation. He had been right. Something _had _gone wrong between the so-called perfect couple. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You and Rei aren't going to last."

"And how would you know?" she asked.

He might as well finish the hole he just started digging himself into, so he said, "I know Salima." I'm going to regret this later, he thought bitterly, staring into the hazel eyes of Mariah. Being this close to her face made him appreciate her natural beauty. Now if only she would smile instead of frown...

His words hit her like a slap in the face. "You're involved in this, aren't you?"

Mariah was just too damn smart for her own good. He forced a grin, "And if I told you I wasn't?"

"Salima's trying to break Rei and I up... with your help?"

His humour faded. "No, you've got the wrong idea."

She shook her head, "I don't believe you. That's why you have taken a sudden interest me in these past few weeks. Salima wants Rei for herself, and she's decided to hire you for help because you're new to this school," she said, with controlled rage. "I can't believe I didn't see it earlier. What is she paying you?"

"She's not paying me anything."

"Salima doesn't hire outside help for free; you must have asked for something in return," she said slowly, looking directly in his eyes searching for answers. "You're benefiting from helping her."

"Look, I swear, whatever Salima's trying to do, I've got nothing to do with it. Sure, we may have had a conversation and all, but I don't know what she has planned for Rei. I'm just a distraction, that's all." He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth. It was times like these he really wished he had Brooklyn's ability to talk his way out of things. "Er..."

She drew back. "You can tell Salima that I know about her little game; she's not going to win. Nothing is going to come between Rei and I, she may as well stop because Rei will never like her."

Whatever history Mariah shared with Salima must have been pretty big, because she really hated the other girl. He was going to have to have a discussion with Salima and find out what happened between them and perhaps use it to his own advantage. "Sure, I'll tell her."

She turned her back to him and made her way to the door, without uttering another word. The bet was still on; this was just a minor setback. Mariah might succeed in stopping Salima, but he was not going to be easily stopped. He was going to do whatever it took to ensure he claimed victory no matter what the cost.

.

The person who looked back at him in the mirror was a monster. He was almost tempted to drive his fist through the mirror, but that would only cause problems than solve. He felt disgusted with himself. Pulling his gaze away from the mirror, he turned back and exited the toilets, pushing several students out of the way. One of them complained, but Brooklyn didn't stop to care. How could he have been stupid?

_He walked up to Queen's front door, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He figured her house needed some more colour and the flowers were the most affordable. Queen was waiting for him in the bedroom, dressed in silky black lingerie. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me once I made you the offer," Queen said, patting the space next to her._

"_I'm not thrilled about any of this," Brooklyn replied, moving to the bed, "but I need to know everything you do about Mariam."_

He shuddered; flashbacks of last night were playing before him like a bad movie. He could remember it clearly, even though he didn't want to. Everything reminded him of the night they shared together. The toilets made him feel dirty, the colours of his uniform reminded him of her walls of the room and the sight of any girl made his stomach twist. Casual sex was a big-no in his books, and yet he had done the very thing he despised.

He hoped Queen would keep her word about ensuring their secret was kept a secret. The thought of everyone becoming aware of his... conquest would damage his reputation beyond repair. He feared his scholarship would be revoked if this information became public. He couldn't trust Queen, but he wasn't going to cross her either. She had power over him, and she knew it.

_Her painted nails walked up across his bare chest, only stopping when they reached his face. Once they did, her soft hands brought his head close to hers, pressing their lips together. His fingers grabbed her arms gently, but she pulled them away, smirking at the surprised look on his face. Her lips drew back from his own and she moved down his chest, leaving a trail of kisses, moving from left to right, nipping him then soothing the ache with a kiss..._

He winced at the memory. The girl had done it many times before that much was certain. How many guys had she been with to master her technique? He didn't want to think about it; the thought of having done it with a girl that had been used many times made him feel like he had taken a bath in mud.

"This is never going to leave my mind..." he mumbled, walking towards his locker in the near distance. He couldn't wait to get to class; at least that would distract his mind from wondering elsewhere for fifty minutes. As he made his way to his locker, he bypassed a group of girls which he recognized as being Queen's groupies.

Shit.

They noticed him as well. One of the girls, a pretty blonde with bright blue eyes, winked in his direction. The girl standing next to her, a petite brown haired female, giggled in response. They knew. They had to know. Of course Queen would fill them in with the juicy details; why else would they be laughing at him?

He looked away sharply, preferring to look in a different direction. His eyes fell on Matilda who was standing at her locker at the opposite end of the hall, talking to one of her friends. He debated whether or not to visit her, then decided it wasn't the best idea, not with Queen's girls standing so close. So he pretended to drop something on the floor – a single gold coin – and hoped Matilda hadn't noticed him. He dipped down, then stood back up just as quickly, breathing a sigh of relief. Matilda – and Queen's girls – were no longer present. The coast was clear. He walked over to his locker.

"Have you given up on Matilda? Realized she's way out of her league?" a voice asked from behind.

He knew that voice. Turning around, he pretended to be surprised at a pair of emerald eyes staring back at him. "Mariam, I had a feeling I'd see you sooner than later."

She stepped to the side, and leaned against the locker next to his, "I'm glad you took my suggestion."

"This whole act of yours isn't fooling anyone, Mariam," Brooklyn replied, opening his locker after punching in the combination, "you can drop it; I see right through you."

She placed a hand on his locker door and closed it shut. "You don't know anything about me," she said, in a voice barely above a whisper but in a tone that was ice-cold.

"_What do you know about Mariam?"_

"_Everything."_

"_You said you'd tell me."_

_Queen smiled at him. "Mariam and I were once friends a long long time ago, but that friendship didn't last very long. It was my fault I guess for introducing them," she said, sitting across from him at the table. An hour had passed since their joint activity._

"_Introduced who?_

"_Johnny, that spoilt rotten rich kid, of course. One day Mariam came to me in tears, telling me she had ended her relationship with Max after a year. He was too boring for her, she told me. I told her she needed a guy that would excite her, someone dangerous and she agreed. Without her knowing, I set her up with Johnny. Johnny was one of my boys at the time, but I had grown sick of him."_

"_So you passed him onto Mariam?"_

"_Indeed."_

He glanced to the side, looking at her with an amused expression, "Oh, I know more about you than you think. You are a fake, Mariam. You're pretending to be an ice-cold know-it-all princess but deep down, you're just hurting." He pulled his locker open again, and grabbed the necessary books for his next class.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

He tucked the books under his arm, and glanced at her again. "I'm afraid I do. I know why you hate us men so much. I know why you're defending girls from all over. You had a terrible relationship and now you're convinced all guys are jerks," he said, slamming his locker shut. "That Michael guy that follows you around? You don't even like the guy; you're simply stringing him along."

"_At first, the two got on really well. Mariam was addicted to him, she could never leave him alone wanting to be with him every second of the day. But that relationship soon turned sour. A month had passed and she came to me once again in tears. She told me he had hurt her. Naturally, I told her to leave him, but she loved him too much." Queen sighed, rubbing an eye. "I was becoming sick of Mariam's constant complaints myself, so I told her to deal with it herself."_

_Brooklyn snorted. "Don't you think that was a little harsh? She could've used your help."_

_Queen shrugged. "It's not my fault she fell in love with Johnny, I warned her about him, but she chose not to listen."_

_Queen had a point. "Then what happened?"_

"_She broke it off with him eventually."_

"_So that's why she's anti-male? Then what has Michael got to do with anything?"_

"_Michael came to her rescue once, Mariam wanted to repay him by pretending to like him. There's nothing to it; no love at all. He only follows her around thinking he's going to score eventually. He's a bit of a dreamer. Good heart, but a fool."_

Her jaw tightened, "The relationship I have with Michael is none of your business."

"So, Mariam... who was this douche of a guy you were with?" Brooklyn asked, giving Mariam one of his trademark smirks, "I hear he had a thing for rough sex."

SLAP.

His left cheek was greeted by Mariam's right hand. He muttered a complaint, then glared at her. "You crazy bitch!" he snapped, ignoring the stares from passing students. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a large mass of students gathering around, talking in hushed voices.

"Oh my gosh, Mariam slapped the cute guy!"

"That's the first time I've ever seen Mariam so angry."

"Damn, she's hot when she is mad."

"Are they like, together or something?"

The comments leaving the mouths of several students were astoundingly stupid to Brooklyn's ears, and by the look on Mariam's face, they were pissing her off too. Even more students had gathered to witness the dramatic fight taking place in the middle of the hallway of lockers. Brooklyn decided to turn it into a spectacle to remember. "Someone needs to take anger management lessons. Isn't there some sort of rule where students are advised to keep their hands to themselves?" he taunted.

Mariam was almost trembling with rage, but somehow she managed to speak in a controlled voice, "I guess I just can't keep my hands off you."

"That's understandable though; I mean, if I were you, I would have trouble keeping their hands away from a guy like me," he replied, smirking.

The expression on Mariam's face changed from one to anger to joy. That made Brooklyn feel uncomfortable. Why the sudden change in mood? "I guess Queen couldn't either," she replied calmly.

She knew. Oh hells she knew about the deal he struck with Queen. How could she not know? Queen had stated in their little discussion she had been friends with the girl at one stage. Fuck. But he couldn't lose his cool now – an ever growing crowd was still forming around them – he had to continue acting like he had everything in control. "I don't even know who that is."

Her ever widening smirk was beginning to frustrate him. She knew she had the upperhand now and he didn't like that one bit. It was going to take something drastic to change the topic, and he hoped it would be one the students would talk about and remember. Anything to make them forget about Queen. He made a sudden move towards Mariam, then grabbed her in a quick embrace, pressing his mouth against hers.

Needless to say, his sudden action surprised both Mariam and the crowd present. She struggled against at him first, but soon melted against him, responding with just as much passion. Then, something seemed to click in her mind, because she pulled back abruptly, slapped him, and stormed off muttering something about, 'bad taste in her mouth'.

"Oh my gosh, did Brooklyn and Mariam just have a hot steamy make out session in the middle of the school hallway?" one random girl asked.

"Er yeah!" said another.

"Damn, she's a lucky girl."

"I wish I was Brooklyn..." said a nearby guy.

That would be an event all the students would remember. He knew it was going to be the talk of the school but that was fine. As long as they all forgot about Mariam ever mentioning Queen. His eyes focused on Mariam's retreating back, a smirk on his face. Mariam might have taken on an anti-male stance because of some douche, but she would give into temptation sooner or later. He'd just given her a taste of what she had been missing for quite some time.

"Brooklyn?"

Someone called his name from the now departing crowd. He turned to face the source of the voice. There, standing just a few feet away from him was Matilda. Shit.

.

That was also a fun chapter to write! Drama is really beginning to heat up now as you can tell by the longer chapter lengths. Rei and Mariah have experienced their first fight, Brooklyn's attention is moving to Mariam and Mystel has seriously ticked off Mariah. What will happen next?

As for the future direction of this story, it's certainly going to become more of a personal thing – you may have picked up on the shift in tone from the first few chapters to the most recent ones. I do hope you become emotionally involved with the story and its characters because I'm going to take you along for one hell of a ride.

Oh, I hope you hate my OC, Alyssa. She is meant to be despised and her actions in future chapters will have you wanting to strangle her. Currently, which character's arc is most interesting to you? As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	21. Decisions, Decisions

**Disclaimer**

The rights to Beyblade belong to Takao Aoki.

**Title**

Nothing After All

**Summary**

Some things are just never meant to be no matter how much you wish it were. Mariah's seemingly perfect world is set to crumble when a new group of students arrive promising to cause trouble of all sorts.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to SkyDragonKing and guest for reviewing the previous chapter!

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**Chapter Twenty One: Decisions, Decisions**

_Wednesday, after school_**  
**

Preparations for the fashion show were coming along nicely. Julia had a long list of names and sponsors already written down on a piece of paper. She had to narrow it down of course; there was no way Robert would be willing to fork over _that _amount of money. She glanced down at the document, a blue ballpoint pen in her right hand. "Okay, Robert is paying for the entire event – I need to make it up to him somehow. I expect he will want some sort of benefit out of this event..." she mumbled, scratching her chin.

But what would a guy like Robert want? He already had everything and more. He could purchase the entire school if he wanted. "Maybe a special area for himself and his friends?" she said aloud, her thoughts focusing on the purple haired millionaire. Having a conversation with Robert was always difficult; for one, he didn't like talking that much, and secondly, when he did talk it was always related to the subject content.

It was a miracle how he even agreed to help fund her fashion show. She had to thank Oliver for helping her cause. The petite Frenchman was a close friend of Robert's and somehow he managed to persuade him to provide aid. How he did wasn't known to her, but she wasn't going to press for details.

There was a sudden knock on the door pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced at her door, "Come in!"

The door opened. Her twin brother, Raul, entered holding a brown McDonalds bag in his left hand, and a coke in the other. "I bought this for you. You've been so busy lately you and I haven't done much together at all," he said, sitting down next to his sister on the bed.

She took the bag from him, and eagerly dug her hand in for the burger. She glanced down at the wrapper, 'McChicken burger.' Her favourite. Raul was the greatest. "Thanks brother." Unwrapping it quickly, she brought the burger to her mouth and took a big bite.

"How's the fashion show planning coming along?" Raul asked, glancing at the paper. "Seems like you've got a long list already."

She nodded, swallowed her food, then spoke, "Yeah. I've got it all planned out but I need to cut stuff out. There's no way Robert would agree to all of this."

Raul lifted a brow, giving his sister a questioning look, "Robert? What does he have to do with this?"

"You haven't heard? I must've have forgotten to tell you... Robert agreed to pay for the show. Catering, entertainment, equipment..." she said, smiling. "It's a miracle, I tell you."

He gave her a flat stare. "You must have some good friends to convince that grouch to help."

"Oliver's interested in the fashion show just as much as I am, Raul. But his parents won't let him pay for the event so he asked Robert to instead. Robert doesn't live with his parents; he has total control over his wealth," she explained. Robert's parents were a mystery. Robert never mentioned them, and no one ever dared to ask. "And he said he would pay for the entire thing as soon as I give him the list."

Raul continued to look at her as if she had grown an extra limb. "Can you even trust the guy? You barely even talk to him. How do you know he's going to hold his end of the bargain?"

"He seems like a trustworthy guy." Raul had raised a good point. She barely communicated with him. But Oliver said he would never back down on a deal. Oliver didn't lie. "Oliver said I could trust him."

"And you trust Oliver? You're not even best friends with him. You only met him because you once worked at his restaurant for a couple of months and his father fired you because he didn't like your attitude," Raul pointed out.

Julia remembered that period of time all too well. Apparently, her father believed she was only working at the restaurant to get close to his son. He thought she was a cheap whore looking for easy prey to use up his money. Of course, he was completely off target but he wouldn't listen to her. Besides, Oliver wasn't interested in her. He already had a girlfriend – Bianca, one of Enrique's many exes. "Don't remind me."

"I'm just saying, are you sure you can trust them? I don't want to see this event fail – you've put so much effort into planning it all, I'd hate to see it fall apart. I know that would devastate you," Raul said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Romero has offered to aid you anyway. We might not have the money to put on a flashy show, but sometimes less is more."

Romero was their guardian. He took them in when both their parents died in a tragic car accident. He was an eccentric fellow, but he had a good heart. He worked at the school as a gym instructor alongside Hiro specializing mostly in gymnastics. "Romero doesn't earn enough to cover the costs."

"That's because you're thinking too big, sister. Remember what I said – less is more." He rolled off the bed, then stood up and headed towards the door. Julia watched his retreating figure, considering his departing words. Was she right to trust in Oliver and Robert, two people she barely knew all that well? Or take another risk and host a small budget show and be ridiculed? Sighing, she buried her face in her hands.

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Bryan lounged on the torn leather sofa, his legs resting on the surface of the table. Spencer sat next to him on his right, while Ian sat to his left. Tala, the self-imposed leader of the group, sat on the opposite couch. "What are we going to do about Kai, Tala? What if he doesn't return the money to us?" Bryan said, his arms casually resting on his stomach.

"Kai will pay up. He'll lose far too much if he doesn't," Tala said.

Ian, the shortest member of the group, spoke, "I... I don't think we're doing the right thing here. Kai is happy with his new life... why bring the past back to him?" he reasoned.

Tala gave the young male a hateful look. "Because Kai is one of us, Ian. He can never escape his past no matter how much he thinks he can." He picked up his empty can of pepsi and lobbed it at Ian's head, laughing as it struck his target.

Ian muttered a curse, then bent down and picked up the can safely putting it out of Tala's reach. He didn't like Tala at all, and the red head knew it. In Tala's opinion, Ian had nothing going for him. He was often called 'ugly' and 'useless' by the self-appointed leader. The only reason he had even become part of Tala's gang was because they their father's were best friends.

His other companions were no better. Bryan didn't treat him in the same crude manner Tala did, but he didn't step in to defend him either when Tala decided it was 'insulting Ian' time. Spencer was kinder than both – but like Bryan, he didn't defend Ian. Kai was the only person nice to him. It was why Ian didn't want to hurt him.

"Maybe the little runt has a man crush on Kai?" Bryan said, sniggering.

Tala chuckled. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did." He looked to elaborate his comment further, then fell silent. Whatever insult he had was obviously not good enough to humiliate Ian. He leaned his head to the right, yawned and then stretched his arms above his head. Once he was done, he glanced in Ian's direction and clicked his fingers. "Ian, you are going on a McDonald's run."

Ian cringed inwardly. He hated going on fast food runs. Tala always made his orders difficult; no ketchup, lots of mustard, pickles cut in half... of course, he wasn't _that _fussy – he just like being a difficult person. Nodding, Ian stood up from the couch. "The same old order I assume?"

Tala nodded. "Yeah. But this time, I want shit loads of ketchup and no mustard." He dug a hand deep into the couch and pulled out a fat wallet of cash. "Take the money – only spend what is necessary," he said, handing a fifty dollar note over to Ian.

"Be back as soon as possible," Ian said, then headed out the door as fast as he could.

.

Once Ian had left, Tala turned his attention to his remaining group mates. "Now that the little runt is gone, we can discuss our situation with Kai."

Bryan spoke, his hands resting behind his head, "I say we should give him another day – let him think about his options and the consequences of refusing us. If he does refuse to hand us the rightful money, we make his life a living hell. We have a lot of dirt on the guy."

Tala stroked his chin thoughtfully, pondering Bryan's words. "I like your thinking."

"I don't like the look of Kai's friend – I think we should take him out before he creates trouble," Spencer said, resting his hands on his lap, "If we want to make Kai ours again, we're going to have to cut off his resources. Make him feel isolated. Make him feel like he _needs _us."

Again, Tala agreed. Kai's friend didn't look like the smartest guy around, but a loyal friend would often do anything to ensure their friendship remained strong. "Leave the daft one to me. I'm sure I'll convince him Kai's not worth the hassle."

"What are you going to tell him though? Spencer asked.

"I'll tell him the truth; plant doubt in his head. If he's a smart guy he'll know to back off and if he's not... well, he's an idiot then. We have to be cautious though; I don't want to get expelled within our first week," Tala explained, running a hand through his hair, "Besides, we can't get on Boris' bad side – he did bring us over here."

"Boris is a blind fool," Bryan sneered. "He'll never notice."

"He might start paying attention if Kai complains about us," Tala replied, lowering his hand to his lap, "Kai has always gotten on well with Boris."

"So... we're just going to sit back and wait until Kai makes the right decision?" Bryan replied, sounding disappointed.

Tala nodded. "Just another day, Bryan then we can go on the attack." And he couldn't wait to make Kai pay for his betrayal. No one ever walked out his group and escaped for good. There was no such thing as 'starting afresh'. Kai was a criminal and he could never escape his past. He assisted in robbery. He was responsible for numerous accounts of vandalism. He even participated in drug dealing for money. He claimed to be a new person now, but Tala knew him all too well. Kai _was _going to break.

.

High school was supposed to be a pretty entertaining time for a teenager, but for Tyson, it was painful. The amount of homework hurt... but relationships hurt even more. Kai had acted unlike himself all day yesterday and today and Tyson wondered if it had anything to do with that weird kid Tala. Or maybe that witch Hilary had gotten under his skin.

Being harassed by Hilary would drastically dampen his mood that's for sure, but something told him Tala was the reason. The red head male obviously had some sort of a connection with Kai and Tyson wanted to know. But Kai wouldn't talk about it. Every time Tyson brought up the question, Kai would talk about something else.

"Are you having girl problems, Tyson?" Hiro asked, giving his brother a teasing look.

Tyson lobbed the remote control at his brother's head. He missed. The remote flew past his head and hit the far wall landing on the ground. "I'm not having girl problems."

"Then why the long face?" Hiro replied, bending over to pick up the remote.

Tyson cringed inwardly. Hiro was a great brother and all, but sometimes he asked way too many questions for his own good. "Why are you so happy today?"

The grin on Hiro's face seemed to widen. "I've gotten myself a date."

Hiro? The Hiro Granger going on a date? That was certainly news to Tyson's ears. Hiro's last relationship ended three years ago with some crazy blonde chick. "Who is she? Do I know her?"

"You tell me what's troubling you first."

Tyson growled. "That's not fair!"

"You never know, I might just be able to help you."

The younger Granger child gave a defeated sigh. He was not getting anywhere with this. "Alright... it's about a girl," he grumbled, refusing to look Hiro in the eyes.

"Hilary, right?"

"What makes you think that?" Tyson retorted heatedly.

Hiro threw a fist into the air and let out a whoop. "Gotcha! I think she's a good match for you, Tyson. You're both hot-headed stubborn brats," he teased, laughing at his brother's horrified expression. "I notice she's been giving Kai the look though."

Well, might as well finish what I started, Tyson thought. "Hilary offered to tutor me in English classes, but that's only to get closer to Kai. Kai doesn't know and I doubt he'd care anyway – Kai's not interested in dating. If he was, he would be in a relationship now. Anyway, I told Hilary to back off – I hate being used," Tyson blurted out.

"Why can't you just tell Kai that you think Hilary likes him?"

"I can't do it!" Tyson exclaimed, standing up abruptly from his position on the couch, "Besides, he wouldn't believe me anyway," he added, dropping back down, placing his hands on his lap.

Hiro sat down beside him. "Why wouldn't he? He's your best friend."

"I don't want to tell him without enough proof otherwise it just looks like I'm assuming things. I'm positive she likes him though, why else would she want to tutor me now? She probably just worked up the courage to act on her feelings for Kai and decided I was the best way to do that," Tyson stated, leaning back in the chair, "But I turned her services down. She won't be learning about Kai from me."

Hiro sighed. "If she really likes Kai, she'll find a way to get close to him Tyson."

"But I don't want to lose my best friend to some girl!"

Again, his brother sighed. "Tyson, don't be so selfish. If Hilary likes Kai, and Kai likes Hilary, who are you to try and stop that? I know it's hard to accept, but Kai will always be around. You need to tell him about your assumption at least – keeping secrets won't do you any good."

A few beats of silence passed until Tyson spoke again, "But what if I tell him? He won't be happy that I kept this information for him for quite a few weeks now. And what if he decides he actually wants to pursue Hilary?" That worried him most of all. Would Kai replace Tyson with Hilary, a girl he barely knew all that well? "You're right – I'll tell him tomorrow."

A smile broke out on Hiro's face. "That's good to hear, Tyson. If you find yourself in trouble, you know that I'm always here for you, right? That's what brothers are for."

Tyson grimaced. Hiro sounded absolutely sure everything was going to turn out alright, but he feared for the worst. Would he lose Kai's friendship forever or would he assume Tyson was merely blowing things out of proportion? These thoughts were beginning to give him a headache, so he changed the topic. "So... you have a girlfriend now?"

His older brother nodded, smiling. It was clear to Tyson whoever this girl was she was obviously making his brother very happy. "She's a top girl. Her name is Jacqueline; she's a violist tutor."

That sounded incredibly boring to Tyson's ears, but for his brother's sake, he tried to be happy. "That sounds great." He hoped his words sounded sincere.

"Well, it was great chatting with you, Tyson. Tell me how everything turns out, alright? I'm going to head down to KFC and get some cheap food – I'll be back soon. Gramps has gone out with Stanley tonight to play some lawn bowls so he won't be back until later. Pick out a movie," Hiro said, standing up from the couch. He made his way to the door, then exited leaving Tyson all alone to dwell on his thoughts.

"Can I tell Kai the truth?" Tyson wondered. Was it worth the risk?

.

Brooklyn dropped his school bag on the floor and immediately placed himself down in front of the television in the lounge. School had been pretty lousy over the past two days thanks to the stunt he pulled with Mariam in the hallway. It seemed like a good idea at the time but he was beginning to regret it. People were starting to talk – and talk was dangerous.

His fellow housemates wouldn't stop bringing it up at every opportunity. Mystel thought the entire thing was amusing; in fact, he wouldn't stop questioning Brooklyn about the entire event until Brooklyn threatened to hit him with a baseball bat. Garland and Ming Ming didn't see the funny side. Fortunately, the stunt hadn't reached Boris' ears. Brooklyn imagined he too wouldn't see the funny side. "Hello," Brooklyn said, as his said housemates entered the house.

As expected, no one said anything. That irritated him. "I said hello, and you say nothing? That's not very kind."

Ming Ming replied, shooting him a sour look, "You don't deserve any form of kindness. Matilda is hurting right now thanks to your little show. Mariam is also getting harassed."

"Are you showing actual concern for someone else?" Brooklyn mocked.

Her gaze hardened. "I don't care about them on a personal level, but what you did... was wrong. I expect a move like that from Mystel, but I thought you were better than that."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Mystel commented. No one replied.

Garland said nothing, just looked at him in the way a disappointed parent looks at their child. Ming Ming was right – Brooklyn knew what he did wasn't right, but he no longer cared. What had been done couldn't be reversed. As long as Queen kept her mouth shut, all would be good. "Who cares?" he said simply.

"Matilda actually _liked _you – does that not mean anything?" Ming Ming said.

He shook his head. It didn't anymore. Sure, she was a sweet girl but she was too easy. It only took a bit of the Brooklyn charm to win her over. Mariam on the other hand was a challenge. She wanted him, he was sure of it. Now all he had to do was make her admit it openly. Matilda was no longer his target. "Nope." Besides, Mariam was better looking anyway.

"Unbelievable!" Ming Ming shouted, then stormed down the hallway towards the staircase. Garland also followed without uttering a single word. Only Mystel remained.

"Does that mean the bet is off?"

Brooklyn shook his head again. "It's still on. Not disappointed are you?"

"Nope. Not at all. I'm going to win. You have no chance with Mariam. She's way out of your league."

"Just like Mariah is out of yours... how are you and Mariah going anyway? I'm not seeing any major developments happening."

A beat of silence passed until Mystel spoke again, "I'm not telling you." That was a clear indication to Brooklyn that nothing was happening at all. Which was not surprising – this was Mystel. "If I tell you anything, you'll use it against me somehow," he added.

Brooklyn wouldn't stoop that low. He didn't need to know. Mystel would somehow get himself involved in a rough situation he wouldn't be able to get himself out of easily. But making his task much harder would be fun to watch. All he had to do was spread a few facts around and Mystel would never win. But what sort of information to spread? "What do you think of Mariah?" he asked.

"She's a blind fool."

"In what way?"

"She honestly believes that she can do no wrong. Why'd you ask?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "Curious, that's all." If he was going to make this bet much more entertaining for himself, he'd have to place Mystel in an embarrassing situation. Several ideas raced through his mind. "So... do you find Mariah physically attractive?"

"What?"

"Okay, let me put it in more simple words. Do you find Mariah hot?"

"She's well endowed," Mystel replied.

That much was true. He could see why Mystel had chosen Mariah out of all the girls available. She was a pretty girl, with a voluptuous frame. He briefly wondered how much action Rei was getting from Mariah or any at all. She certainly didn't seem like the Queen type or the Ming Ming type of girl. If Mystel miraculously managed to win her over, he'd find it pretty hard to go to second base with her.

An idea suddenly came to him. "Well endowed, you say? I can't say I've noticed. You must be keeping a close eye on her to notice these things," Brooklyn lied. "Or maybe you are fantasizing things."

Mystel frowned. "Mariah's not my type, Brooklyn."

"Oh, that's right. You like the dumb slutty girls."

"That's not true."

He wasn't in a happy mood anymore Brooklyn observed much to his delight. "Should I tell Mariah you find her well-endowed? I'm sure she'd be _thrilled. _Maybe I'll also mention you like to act out fantasies with her in your head at night," Brooklyn said, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Stay out of my business regarding Matilda and Mariam, and I'll stay out of yours," Brooklyn retorted. At least that threat would ensure Mystel didn't attempt to find out the truth about Queen, otherwise he'd be finding himself in a difficult situation. "Do we have a deal?"

Silence, then, "Fine."

Brooklyn grinned. "Excellent." Now that Mystel was no longer going to be a potential problem, he could focus his efforts on winning over Mariam. But Matilda had to be dealt with first. The girl hadn't said anything after the Mariam stunt, but the look in her eyes had said it all – she was going to get her revenge.

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This chapter focuses a little more on some of the secondary characters – I thought you might be interested in reading about somebody else for a change. I hope you liked this one – we get back to the main ones in the next! Reviews are always much appreciated!


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